


Forever Silenced

by BelleBeriiBlues



Category: Angst - Fandom, Based on canon - Fandom, Jumin done fucked up, Mystery - Fandom, Mystic Messenger (Video Game), mysmes, non-relationship - Fandom
Genre: ANXIETY UP THE WAZOO, Angst, Depersonalization, Depression is a bitch, Flashbacks, Has a lot to do with V's death, Jumin has built up anger towards Saeran, Jumin having a lot of emotional meltdowns, Kidnapping, Lots of Crying, Murder, Mystery, Other, PTSD, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES, SPOILERS EVERY WHERE, Suicidal Thoughts, Takes place after secret endings, Torture, Triggers, people locked in a dark bunker, some naughty language~
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-02-11 01:08:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 28,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12924075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BelleBeriiBlues/pseuds/BelleBeriiBlues
Summary: To say the past few months of his life had been a whirlwind would be an understatement. In addition to finding out that information on Saeyoung’s past, Jumin had also experienced a tragic loss. His childhood friend, V, was taken in the heat of the moment by Saeran, information that Jumin had bottled up, along with the angst and resentment that followed. "Yes," he would tell himself. "For V’s sake, for the RFA’s sake, I’ll forgive." But he would certainly not forget. And that constant anxiety plagued his own rationality. He was irritable, paranoid and uncharacteristically emotional. Jumin was certainly not himself as of lately, and anyone could see that.After his emotional outbursts landed him on the shit list of a very powerful foe, Jumin finds the safety of himself and the RFA dangerously compromised. Jumin goes through extreme lengths to preserve the integrity and safety of his friends, but when your opponent is larger than life and has the means of making all of his mistakes disappear, will Jumin be forced to turn a blind eye and be silenced forever?





	1. Jumin is Mad at Everyone

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place after the events in Seven’s route/Secret endings/etc. MEANING it is absolutely ENGRAINED with spoilers. Please read at your own discretion.  
> I plan for this story to be pretty long. Idk exactly how long yet but I made sure to have a few chapters already written just so I don’t flake out, and I’ll post them weekly or twice a week, depending on my progress. (hence why it says 10 chapters for now. There may be more, but I already have 7 written and 2 that I'm editing .-.) **This is not a ship fic.** I don’t plan on having any romance in it at all. It’s a personal challenge for the story since I’ve been relying too much on romance in my other works lately. This story is more like an angsty mystery story that I don’t really know how to categorize. This idea came to me in a dream after my first time through Seven’s route and I’ve spent the past year mulling it over in my head until I decided to write it (and the month after NanoWrimo too lmao) I know there will be a few triggering things like torture and things pertaining to suicide in here, so I will tag appropriately as it gets written. Also, if you like, please leave a comment :’) i don’t usually write fanfics, or post them, so knowing that I’m not screaming out into the void and that people are reading it will make me feel really validated QoQ Thank you so much! Please enjoy my ramblings~!
> 
> \-----  
> Even though it's a little more work, I'm so glad I can use the emojis QoQ I was worried it wouldn't be possible on Ao3 cause this is actually my first post here ;;;
> 
> ALSO  
> Any typos you see in the "chatrooms" are probably intentional. Even things as small as misplacing a semi-colon :3

 

The restaurant was exceptionally quiet for lunch hour, the clanking of silverware on plates echoing around the establishment. Jumin stared down at his lukewarm, kobe beef steak in disinterest, hoping his guest would decide to take his pretentious behind out of his line of sight. Instead, a quick glance at the man revealed he was very much fixed in his seat, sharing a laugh with Jumin’s own father.

Chairman Han had forged inopportune opportunities for his son before, but this one reached a new level. After protests for what seemed weeks, Jumin was forced to resign himself to have lunch with the Prime Minister. He still wasn’t entirely sure what his father’s end goal of all of this was; something about having him endorse their company by doing some sort of collaborative project with Jumin. C&R wasn’t some startup that needed backing, but Jumin had agreed to play along for his father’s sake. That didn’t mean he had to enjoy it, though.

At first glance, anyone in Jumin’s position would be indisputably honored; he was having lunch with the guy that runs the country, for Christ’s sake. But pretty titles meant nothing to Jumin, especially when they came with heavy baggage.

After a certain fiasco unfolded a few months prior, Jumin uncovered some scandalous information about a member of his inherited charity organization. He learned Luciel- nay, Saeyoung, which he revealed to be his birth name- and his twin brother, Saeran, were the forsaken children of the man before him. Born out of wedlock and a potential threat to his career, the man discarded the boys, leaving them to be raised by their abusive mother in secrecy. After she’d used the boys as a threat to illicit money out of their powerful father, the man targeted Saeran and Saeyoung, hoping to get rid of them at all costs. They were able to hide with the not so helpful aid of V and Rika, and escape their fathers gaze into their adult lives. They had been playing it cool ever since, trying desperately not to become a target yet again.

To say the past few months of his life had been a whirlwind would be an understatement. In addition to finding out that information on Saeyoung’s past, and finding out about the horrors that the allegedly dead Rika had fostered with Mint Eye, Jumin had also experienced a tragic loss. His childhood friend, V, was taken in the heat of the moment by Saeran, information that Jumin had bottled up, along with the angst and resentment that followed. For he was the leader of the RFA now, and Saeran was a member. And clearly was not in a healthy state of mind then. _Yes_ , he would tell himself. _For V’s sake, for the RFA’s sake, I’ll forgive_. But he would certainly not forget. And that constant anxiety plagued his own rationality. He was irritable, paranoid and uncharacteristically emotional. Jumin was certainly not himself as of lately, and anyone could see that.

Except his ever oblivious father.

“Jumin! What do you think of that proposal?” His father chirped, fervently. Jumin blandly blinked at his father, clearly having missed the big reveal.

“I suppose if orchestrated correctly, we can make it work.” Jumin bullshitted ever so confidently. The Prime Minister seemed pleased with his words.

“That’s certainly reassuring!” Laughed the man, his deep chuckles reverberating throughout the small venue. His face was turned towards Chairman Han.

“It must be wonderful to have an adult son to share these moments with. My boy is still too young for this business talk!” He chuckled again with the Chairman joining in. Jumin calmly shifted his gaze to his hands on his lap. _Bullshit._ He fought the urge to say. _You have two adult sons. You just pretend they don’t exist._ Jumin’s breathing hitched ever so slightly as he tightly intertwined his fingers. Other then that, there was no visible indication of Jumin’s rage. As usual, his father was oblivious, simply chattering away with the man, trying to charm him into agreement.

Jumin allowed his eyes to wander to the man's face. He may have been handsome at some point, his hair now white and thinning. He had deep laugh lines underneath his golden eyes. Golden eyes that shone like his illegitimate son’s. Jumin propped an elbow up on his lap and rested his chin on his hand, trying to hide his shakiness. He couldn’t explain why he was boiling inside. The guy was Seven’s father, yes. He discarded him, of course. He paraded around, pretending that his wife’s son was his only son and any other children that may exist outside of that realm were dead to him. He was obviously a scumbag. But Jumin was never one to _feel_ so damn much. But he felt every nerve in his body commanding him to hate the man more and more with every passing second. Just his breathing was an offense to Jumin. He tried to seem interested in the conversation for his father’s sake, but within mere seconds, he reached his limit. He stood abruptly, not looking either men in the face.

“I apologize but I have a very important matter I should address. I should be going.”

Mr. Han’s disapproval spread across his face. “So soon?” His silver eyes slid in a gesture towards his guest, silently begging Jumin to stay.

“Yes. Enjoy the rest of your lunch, gentlemen.” Jumin began to slide his jacket on when the Prime Minister addressed him directly for the first time that afternoon.

“Mr. Han. You seem extremely dissatisfied with our conversation. Is something the matter?” The man looked up at him, feigning innocence. Some small voice inside told Jumin to spit on him.

“Yes. As I’ve said, I have some business that needs to be attended to.” He retorted, matter-of-factly.

“More important than business with the Prime Minister?” This guy was really pushing his buttons. Jumin’s hands began to shake.

“With all due respect sir, this seems more like an informal brunch then a business meeting. We can further discuss this project in a formal, more focused setting, if you don’t mind.” Chairman Han’s eyes widened.

The Prime Minister stared at him, inquisitively. He forged a smile and extended his hand.

“I did hear you were no nonsense! Well, I suppose we can save it for our later meeting. Regardless, good meeting you, Jumin.”

Jumin looked down at the hand offered to him before taking a step backwards. The Prime Minister frowned and glared up at the man.

“Jumin…” His father warned.

“Have a good day, gentlemen.” Jumin turned on his heels and marched towards the door, shoving his shaking hands into his pockets. He felt the pairs of eyes follow his every move until he’d disappeared out of the restaurant doors.

\----

The idea of the minister’s existence was enough to keep Jumin aggravated the entire day. His smarmy grin; his golden eyes that were everything, and yet nothing like Seven’s. How he pretended to lead such an honest, carefree life when living proof of his deceit was probably blowing up the RFA chatroom right now.

Jumin took a deep breath and inhaled the wine in his glass. A gift from his late friend. Reserved only for when Jumin really needed it. Like right now. He melted into his leather sofa, taking a calculated sip of the drink in his hand. His eyes danced across the ceiling, taking in the large expanse of his penthouse in small glances. He could only truly appreciate how lovely it was when he was home, tipsy and emotionally distraught. Otherwise, it was merely a place to sleep as a opposed to a distraction to marvel at.

A light purr woke him from his trance with a small nudge. Elizabeth 3rd pressed her small body against Jumin’s hand, beckoning him to pet her. He ran his manicured hands through her dazzling white fur, small hairs snowing onto his slacks. She settled herself onto his lap and purred musically, eliciting a smile from her master.

“You always know what I need, Elizabeth 3rd.” He cooed in a whisper. His pale hands continued to drag lazily through her elegant, white fur as he sipped his Cabernet. He stared blankly at the wall across from him, remaining in harmony with his beloved for a few moments. She eventually stood, stretched and hopped off of his lap. She sauntered over to her water bowl and gingerly helped herself to the purified spring water in her crystal bowl. Jumin spoiled his girl. Diamond collars, crystal bowls and a completely organic diet were only some of the perks she’d been rewarded for being Jumin’s true, unconditional love. He smiled warmly as she purred in content, wobbling from the bowl and curling up in her unreasonably expensive cat bed. As she laid down to take a nap, Jumin pulled his phone from his pocket to see how his second family were fairing without him.

From the second he logged into the chat room, there was a special kind of mayhem awaiting him. His first observation was a massive influx of pictures of his beloved persian princess, followed by a string of manic texts from Zen in a fleeting attempt to mask them. Following that was Jaehee’s scolding Zen’s offenders, and the others laughing along with the show. Under normal circumstances, teasing Zen was one of Jumin’s favorite pastimes. But the name sharing those pictures caused a flame to be lit beneath his skin.

 

**Jumin Han entered the chatroom.**

**Jaehee Kang**

Saeran…

**Jaehee Kang**

If those pictures in any way affect Zen’s performance tonight…

**Jaehee Kang**

We will have a serious problem between us.

**Jaehee Kang**

****

**MC**

Hey Jumin :)

**Saeyoung**

**Saeyoung**

Just in time, cat mom lol

**Zen**

Yjes we wil l have a problem ;;;

**Zen**

Tonight is opening night and my perfect face can’t be compromised ;;;

**Jumin Han**

Where did you get all of those pictures of Elizabeth 3rd, Saeran?

**Jumin Han**

Those are not for your own personal enjoyment.

 

Jumin’s hands shook as he tried to censor his rage between his phone and his fingertips. Saeran had no right to parade his darling around like some joke.

 

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

That’s your concern, trust fund?

**Saeran**

lolol

**Saeran**

I gathered them

**Saeran**

Because watching Zen flip out is

**Saeran**

so funny~!

**Zen**

!!!

**Zen**

NOT

**Zen**

F

**Zen**

U

**Zen**

N

**Zen**

N

 **Yoosung** **★**

Lol

**Zen**

Y

**Zen**

!!!

**Saeyoung**

Lolol yoosung ruined ur flow, zenny

**Jumin Han**

You don’t have the right to share unsolicited images of her.

**Jumin Han**

So stop it.

**Saeran**

Lmao make me

**Saeyoung**

Oooooooo

**MC**

Oooooooo

 **Yoosung** **★**

Ooooooo

 

Jumin inhaled sharply. Saeran, over the months he’d been with the RFA, had essentially become a more rebellious and harder-to-handle version of his brother. He especially loved to give Jumin a hard time for one reason or another, which made it all the more difficult to tolerate him. Whether it be because Jumin was in charge, or just because it was fun to get a rise out of the normally stoic businessman, Saeran had his sights set on doing anything to get under Jumin’s skin. And instead of correcting this behavior, or at least moderating it, the others laughed it off constantly, praising him and encouraging him to be more annoying. Everything Jumin did to defend himself was scrutinized without mercy. He should simply just “know better” and never take offense to Saeran’s antics. Saeran was always merely “having fun” and Jumin was just default an asshole. Every time.

 

**Jumin Han**

Would you like me to make you?

**Jumin Han**

Because if I have to use force, I can assure you, it will not be pretty.

 **Yoosung** **★**

****

**Jaehee Kang**

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

Did… you just threaten him?!

**Saeyoung**

****

**Saeyoung**

Chill out, Jumin…

**Saeyoung**

It;s just a joke ;;;

 **Yoosung** **★**

;;;

**Jumin Han**

I do not believe Elizabeth 3rd is a joke.

**Jaehee Kang**

Mr. Han…

**Jaehee Kang**

With all due respect…

**Jaehee Kang**

...threats between the RFA is a bit...

**Zen**

Yeah dude ;;;

**Zen**

Not cool

**Jumin Han**

I fail to see why Assistant Kang’s threat was taken as a joke but mine

is deemed legitimate.

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

Because it’s obvious that yours isn’t a joke, dick

**MC**

Jumin ;;;

**Saeyoung**

lmao

**MC**

I’m sorry if you’re upset today

**MC**

But the RFA chat is a safeplace

**MC**

And we’d all appreciate you not threatening the other members here,

especially since you’re in charge now ;;;

**Jumin Han**

Fine. My apologies for threatening you, Saeran.

**Saeran**

Whatever, cat boy

**MC**

lolol cat boy

 **Yoosung** **★**

lolol

**Saeyoung**

lolol

**Jumin Han**

Stop your incessant “lolol”ing.

**Saeyoung**

Lmao

**Saeyoung**

LOLOLING

**MC**

Sounds like what yoosung spends all his time doing ;)

**Saeyoung**

LOL

 **Yoosung** **★**

****

**Yoosung** **★**

Hey!

 **Yoosung** **★**

I cut down;;;

**Jumin Han**

None of you are taking this seriously.

**Zen**

As much as I hate seeing that furball…

**Zen**

...it’s not that serious dude lol

**Saeyoung**

Ya

**Saeyoung**

We’re just screwing around lol

**Jumin Han has left the chatroom.**

 

Jumin hadn’t left the chatroom because everyone defended Saeran in favor of him. He was used to that. He left because Zen and Saeyoung were right and that bothered him. It wasn’t that serious on the surface; Saeran was using pictures of Elizabeth 3rd to bother Zen. He himself was guilty of that offense on countless occasions, so he couldn’t wrap his mind around why it bothered him so much that Saeran did it.

But he knew. It was because Elizabeth was from V. Elizabeth was his last gift from V, and his most precious. And Saeran using her picture in the chat as the butt of a joke was slandering that last bit of V’s good name. In a strange, highly irrational way, it was like killing him all over again to Jumin. He hadn’t realized he was crying until a water drop landed on his phone screen. V’s death hurt like hell. Seeing Saeran get away with it with a slap on the wrist hurt even more. And what was worse was that no one took it as seriously as he would. V was his best friend and the one person he thought he could trust. The others respected him for the most part, but he was such a fleeting figure in their lives, rational Jumin would understand their lack of personal grief. And considering he was sworn to secrecy about the teal haired man’s death, his involvement in a criminal organization, all of the months of unanswered phone calls and pretty lies about photoshoots, maybe no one ever would ever know why Jumin was so goddamn angry all the time.

They certainly had no idea. He could hear the notifications for the messenger buzzing, no doubt shit-talking him for whatever the hell just happened in there. He switched his phone to silent and stood from his spot, wiping his eyes on the lavender handkerchief in his front pocket. He considered being spiteful; getting back in there and telling Saeran about meeting the father that threw him away like yesterday’s paper. But even he visibly winced at such a poisonous idea. And, with how they all responded to his empty threat to Saeran, he couldn’t imagine how that would pan out. Instead, he made his way to the bathroom, sniffling occasionally.

The bathroom was large and drafty, the cold linoleum underfoot causing Jumin to shiver. He stood in front of the sink, running the cool water as he inspected his face. His cheeks were red and adorned with wet stripes down the center. At first, the sight of himself crying was intriguing to him; he hadn’t done much of that as a child and had forgotten what grief looked like on his face. But lately, his emotional health began taking a toll on him physically, and he ended many nights in this same spot with tears in his eyes. He leaned over and washed his face slowly, allowing the cool water to press his hot cheeks. When he was satisfied with the drop in facial temperature, Jumin exited the bathroom, making his way to his bed. 8:45 was a bit early for sleep, but being awake meant thinking and overthinking and overthinking what he overthought. So he settled into his purple satin sheets and kept his eyes glued to his ceiling.


	2. Everyone is mad at Jumin

Faint sounds from the street below indicated that the day had begun. Jumin hadn’t slept a minute since settling into his bed. Naturally, his curiosity and anxiety got the better of him and led him back into the chatroom, where he was chastised, again, by MC and Yoosung. They made sure to repeat that it came from a good place and was not a personal attack, but they made no effort of proving that, leaving Jumin offended for the most part. The conversation ended with him calling Yoosung a good-for-nothing, and MC, a word that rhymes with blunt. Long story short, Jumin was sure everyone was a bit peeved at him tonight. And so, he hadn’t gotten a wink, spending witching hours contemplating moving to Nebraska and changing his name to Joe. Jumin grasped for his phone, the blinding screen informing him that it was 6:21am. He sighed and rose from his bed. Might as well start on his day.

  
His closet was vast and deep enough to be considered its own bedroom. Hundreds of dress suits adorned the walls, each sporting pinstripes and costing a small fortune. He selected the closest one to the door, his personal favorite. It was a very deep shade of navy, with faint white pinstripes jutting across the cloth. He pulled it from its place on the shelf and laid it flat against the bed. He grabbed a freshly pressed white button down to go with it and made his way back into the shower to wash away the sleep.

  
The warm water against his cold body did some good to soothe aches he didn't know he had from wrestling with his thoughts all night. He relaxed against the wall, allowing the water to massage his neck and back. His mind began to wander, thinking back on how to approach last night’s events calmly and rationally. He thought on how he should apologize for his outbursts, and get on with his life without feeling so goddamn anxious. And speaking of anxious…

  
Jumin groaned in frustration, hitting his head lightly against the shower wall. Surely his father would have a word with him today about running out on lunch and refusing to shake the Prime Minister’s hand. The way his father would see it, Jumin just blew a golden opportunity that only came about once in a lifetime and Jumin would hear it for the remainder of his own lifetime. Come to think of it, the fact that he hadn’t called Jumin yet to chastise him gave him more anxiety. He must be saving that energy for a face-to-face meeting. Jumin heavily considered calling in sick.

  
\-----

  
Had he called in sick, he would have spared himself more anxiety that the day had planned for him. Some time between his shower and getting dressed, Jumin collapsed onto his bed in exhaustion and finally caught up on the sleep he’d lost out on. He awoke frantically, half dressed in only his button down and socks, utterly disoriented. He grabbed his phone, which read 11:47am. _Shit…_ he snapped under his breath. _4 hours late!_ 16 missed calls from Assistant Kang let him know that he was very much missed at the office. He kicked himself for leaving the phone on silent last night and jumped out of bed in a huff. He dressed in a whirlwind, neglecting to brush his hair, tie his tie or eat. He called Driver Kim and flew out of the door upon his arrival.  
In hindsight, he wasn’t sure why he felt the need to rush. He was already late, and it’s not like he would get fired for showing up at lunch. It was, of course, against his own moral compass to take advantage of things like nepotism. But that wasn’t it. He had a sinking feeling that he was forgetting something very important. He figured he would get his answer if he called his assistant, though he wasn’t entirely sure if he wanted to know. He heaved a few heavy sighs before biting the bullet and calling Jaehee.

 

“Is everything alright, Mr. Han? I’ve been calling you all morning.” She breathed, more annoyance in her voice then concern.

  
“Yes, yes, my sincerest apologies. I had a very rough night.” He could hear her grunt in disapproval and clear her throat. That was one thing he always appreciated about his assistant: she was never one to let her emotions ruin her work ethic.

  
“You missed your 10am meeting and your father is very displeased.” She said, flatly. Jumin’s face fell into his palm, followed by another breathy “...shit...” His father scheduled this meeting with the Prime Minister months in advance, and spent countless days preparing for it. And unlike yesterday’s brunch, this one far more formal and required his presence. They would be discussing the important details and ideas of the joint project, putting all of his father’s planning into motion. And he completely missed it. Jumin ran his fingers through his unstyled hair and sighed again.  
“What are my options?” He asked, the stress leaking into his voice.

  
Jaehee sucked her teeth and hesitated. “It’s in your best interest to speak to your father immediately, sir. He is absolutely fuming.” Jumin nodded in discontent with a low grunt.

  
“Then, I’ll be there shortly,” he groaned, hanging up with the woman. His fingers fumbled with his undone tie as Driver Kim pulled up in front of the C&R building. His home away from home was exceptionally daunting today as he slowly sauntered over to the entrance.

 

  
\---  
Jumin shuffled his feet like a child as he departed from the elevator on the 12th floor. His eyes were adorned with dark bags, his hair was unbrushed and his clothes were an untucked mess. He made his way over to Jaehee’s office, quietly letting himself in to be briefed on the hell that awaited him. Jaehee typed furiously onto the keyboard, barely phased by her boss’s quiet entrance. Without looking up, she greeted him, extending a lukewarm cup of coffee to him.

  
“It’s cold now but I figured you would need this.” She said, firmly. Jumin took the cup with a hum and sipped the lukewarm black coffee. He hadn’t even remembered the existence of coffee until this moment but was now thankful for it, however cold it was. She looked up to gauge his reaction and double-took at his disheveled appearance.

  
“I hope you aren’t planning to meet your father looking like that, sir.” Jumin scoffed. His hair not being brushed was the least of his worries.

  
“I’ll clean up in my office before he shows up. I just didn’t sleep very well last night.” Jaehee opened her mouth to say something before turning silently back to her computer. Judging by the ever so slight change in her demeanor, something was off. She was probably just pissed off at Jumin, too. Though he wasn’t sure if it was because of his lateness or the choice words he used to refer to her best friend. He shrugged. What she thought of him was of no consequence right now. He turned from the room and headed to his own office. A few people snickered behind their computers as he passed, fueling his anxiety further. Did he look that bad? Or was his father really about to let him have it?

  
He soon got his answer. He stepped into his office only to see his father sitting behind his desk, looking unbelievably angry. Jumin couldn’t remember the last time that expression was geared towards him. He swallowed and shut the door tightly behind himself, cussing Jaehee out under his breath for not warning him. He turned remorsefully to face his father.

  
“Good mor-” He began but was abruptly cut off.

  
“Just what in the name of hell do you think this is, Jumin? Some sort of ridiculous game?” His father tried very hard to maintain his volume, but he could hear it fluctuate out of anger.

  
“Please allow me to explain, Father. I-”

  
“You what? You overslept and forgot you had a meeting today, Jumin?” Jumin blinked at the retort, completely taken aback. He simply nodded sheepishly in response.

  
“This isn’t some shit show where you can just screw around, Jumin! This is the Prime Minister of South Korea. He is not the type of man you want to upset and you screwed up big time.” He enunciated every word, small beads of saliva flinging out of his mouth.

  
“You’re a hard worker so I generally allow you your creative freedoms with some of your projects. But you not only disrespected me by missing a meeting with a very high profile client, your behavior at yesterday’s lunch was despicable. I’m so horrifically offended and I can’t begin to imagine how Minister Choi felt!” Jumin bit the inside of his lip at the mention of that name. He couldn’t find the right words to explain that the Prime Minister's presence was the source of his subpar behavior. The carpet beneath him suddenly became very interesting.

  
“What has gotten into you, Jumin? You’re so much better than this! Is it because there are no cats involved? Is that why you can’t take this seriously?” Jumin swallowed hard at his father’s jabs, his fingers running through his unbrushed hair again as he tried to control his breathing.

  
“And look at you! My God, you look like you slept under a bridge! Did you just roll out of bed and show up today? This is a professional environment and you look like some college idiot after a drinking binge!” Jumin simply took every word and nodded. There really was nothing he could say. His father was right; Jumin messed up. He rolled out of bed four hours late. He looked like hell in a handbasket. He missed possibly the biggest and most important meeting C&R had ever had, to his father anyway. And he acted like an angsty teen to the Prime Minister of South Korea over friends that probably didn’t even regard him as friends. Even Jumin had no idea what the hell was the matter with him lately. All he knew was that he disappointed his father. And he did not like that feeling.

  
“Are you crying?” His father finally asked in disbelief. Jumin looked up at him in surprise, touching his eyes that were, in fact, leaking. His father sighed, his expression softening. He stood from Jumin’s seat, walking towards his son. He placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, patting it awkwardly.

  
“Clean yourself up.” He said, calmly. “We can discuss this later on over dinner. Just you and I, alone.” Jumin swallowed and nodded, silent except for small sobs he was just now aware of. Mr. Han nodded and made his way from the room, closing the door behind himself. Jumin locked the door and collapsed onto the ground in front of it. He buried his face into his knees, trying to calm his shaky breaths to no avail. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ He thought, his body convulsing lightly with each breath.

  
The crying subsided after a few minutes, leaving Jumin feeling exhausted. He leaned his head against the door and stared up at the ceiling, sweeping his eyes over the room. He suddenly felt unworthy of his position, of his things and of his father. He blew it and it hit him like a truck.

  
He stood, making his way over to a mirror in the corner of the room. He did look like hell; his clothes were a mess; his face was red and puffy and tear-stained from crying; his raven hair jutted out in a thousand directions like Seven’s. He tried his best to smooth his hair down, laying it flat against his head as opposed to his usual hair style. He tucked his shirt into his pants, fixed his tie and made himself look somewhat presentable before heading into his private bathroom to wash his face. He used some water to further straighten his hair and took a long look at himself in the mirror once he was clean.

Jumin Han was not the type to let emotions dictate his decisions, but something was surely wrong with him this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MC is a hunt. ;)
> 
> SOMEONE CUDDLE MY BABY BOY HE NEEDS LOVE  
> If it wasn't obvious, torturing Jumin Han is one of my guilty pleasures ;) I know that under normal circumstances, Jumin would not be such a crybaby. But I'm trying really hard to hammer home the point that Jumin is not normal right now. Hopefully in future chapters it'll be more apparent :0
> 
> I'm probably going to post this chapter and one more today and start posting weekly next week just because I always get antsy waiting for a fic ;<; I'm hoping that if a few chapters are up, I'll be able to take this a lot more seriously ;u;
> 
> Please leave Kudos for Joe-min Han from Nebraska.
> 
> Also I spaced out the paragraphs because the words on top of each other were just kind of an eyesore tbh


	3. Jumin is Not Really Mad at Jaehee

Jaehee sat in her usual seat, eating a wrap she bought on her way to work that morning. Jumin’s lateness gave her a few hours of peace, which she was grateful for. She had time to grab food, watch a few of Zen’s performances and chat along with the RFA members before a deep knock interrupted her thoughts. She sighed, turning off Zen’s rendition of Danny from “Grease” and sliding over her bland vegetable wrap.

“Come in,” she mumbled. Jumin stomped in with his lips pursed. Jaehee put on a very strained smile. “Did it go well?” She asked, but it was clear by her expression that she already had her answer.

“I wish you’d warned me that he was in my _office_ waiting for me…” He said, unamused.

“Mr. Han gave me very strict orders not to mention it to you.” She had no expression on her face, but he could tell she got some underlying pleasure out of it.

“Well, you’re _my_ assistant, not his. And a heads up would have prevented a giant shitstorm just now.” He tried hard to maintain an even tone, but his rage peaked through some of his words.

“I apologize for not giving you a proper warning,” she said, blandly.

“No, you don’t. I bet you’ve gotten some sick pleasure out of seeing me get chewed out.” He spat. Jaehee blinked and furrowed her brows.

“ If you think I did this on purpose, sir-”

“I don’t _think_ , Assistant. I _know_. You set this up so you could get back at me for what happened in the chat last night, right?”

“Sir, that isn’t true…” Jaehee’s expression morphed into some mixture of offense and fear. “I would never-”

“So you expect me to believe you aren’t the least bit offended about what happened with Yoosung and MC than?” Jumin breathed heavily through his nose, biting down on the inside of his lip. The faint taste of copper began filling his mouth.

“Well, to be honest, sir. I didn’t appreciate what you said to her. But she asked me not to involve myself and so I’m not going to. She said she understands you were upset and doesn’t take it personally and would rather everyone let it go.” Jumin’s shoulders relaxed slightly. He hadn’t even realized they were tensed.

“So she’s not upset with me?”

“I think you should address that with her, but for the most part, it doesn’t seem like it.”

For some reason, that news felt liberating. He didn’t realize how much it worried him that anyone was mad at him. Normally it wouldn’t but…

“How about Yoosung?” He asked, sheepishly.

Jaehee looked the man in the eyes, carefully. He seemed so uncharacteristically fragile.

“He seemed more offended for MC then for himself.”

Jumin sighed, his body suddenly feeling heavier, yet lighter simultaneously.

“I’m sorry for being so irrational…” He finally whispered, his eyes tracing the patterns on Jaehee’s cherry wood desk.

“It’s alright.” She smiled weakly. “But you do seem on edge. I’m assuming your meeting with your father didn’t go very well.”

“No. But I’m sure you heard that for yourself.” Jaehee nodded sympathetically. Jumin shook his head in disbelief. “I have no idea what’s wrong with me lately. I’ve been so… emotional.”

“Maybe you’ve been overwhelmed, sir. There has been a lot going on recently.” She was, of course, referring to V. And she would be right. That certainly shifted his emotions into overdrive. He’d felt more in the past six months then he’d felt in the 27 years leading up to them. Jumin simply nodded, not wanting to think about V. He’d convinced the others that he had been over it because, frankly, he didn’t like the condolences. He didn't like people feeling sorry for him and giving him leeway because of his emotions. His father had done just that moments ago and it made him feel like a child all over again.

“I think for the sake of your mental health, you should take a vacation.” Jumin blinked back into reality and gawked at the woman. Her face was blank, with the slightest tinge of tenderness to it. His employee that spent most of her day complaining about the workload he’d given her told _him_ to go on vacation, which would directly impact _her_ workload. He must really seem like a mess for her to suggest something like that.

“Maybe…” He toyed with the idea of visiting wineries in France. Wine and nature were things that always helped him relax.

“I think it would be good for you, sir. It’ll give you some time to cool down and clear your head.”

Jumin hummed as he toyed with his sleeve. He felt the absence of cufflinks against his shirt and it made him feel naked.

“That seems like a nice idea.” He muttered, not really to Jaehee anymore. “I should probably go and apologize to MC for what I said.”

Jaehee smiled. “I think that would be wise, sir.”

Jumin nodded with a weak smile and headed out of Jaehee’s office. His heart pounded, praying he wouldn’t see his father again sitting in his chair. He exhaled in relief when he found his office to be empty. He plopped down at his desk and pulled out his phone, opening the RFA app. Scrolling through the missed messages, he felt awful about how things turned out last night.

**Jumin Han entered the chatroom.**

**Yoosung** **★**

I thought about buying the expansion pack lolol

**MC**

Oh! Jumin!

 **Yoosung** **★**

Hey, Hyung! ^^

**Jumin Han**

Hello

**MC**

Are you feeling any better, Jumin?

**Jumin Han**

In regards to?

**MC**

Well you left the chat before ;;

**MC**

I was worried you were upset

**Jumin Han**

I was.

**Jumin Han**

I still am.

**Jumin han**

I don't appreciate that nothing I say sits well in here.

 **Yoosung** **★**

I guess you’re kind of hard to read sometimes Jumin ;;;

 **Yoosung** **★**

We know you mean well

 **Yoosung** **★**

It’s just that we were all just having fun

 **Yoosung** **★**

And you threatened Saeran, which made us all uncomfortable

**Jumin Han**

But why is what I said deemed a threat but what Assistant Kang

said a joke?

**Jumin Han**

She threatened his safety as well, did she not?

**MC**

But we know Jaehee wouldn’t actually hurt him

**Jumin Han**

And I would?

 **Yoosung** **★**

Yours just seemed like more of a threat, Jumin ;;;

 **Yoosung** **★**

You’re a serious guy ;;;

 **Yoosung** **★**

It’s hard to tell if you’re joking

**Jumin Han**

It was an empty threat obviously.

**Jumin Han**

I would never allow the safety of anyone in this group to be

compromised.

**Jumin Han**

Especially if it were by my own hand.

**MC**

It’s also that you’re the leader now Jumin ;;;

**MC**

The leader can’t go around and threaten people

**Jumin Han**

So everyone gets a free pass to be an idiot except for me?

**Jumin Han**

Because I’m in charge?

 **Yoosung** **★**

I don’t think that’s what she meant Jumin ;;;

 **Yoosung** **★**

She meant that you’re the leader of the RFA and if

you’re doing things like that, it’s just gonna be a

huge mess ;;;

**MC**

We really aren’t trying to attack you Jumin

**MC**

We’re just trying to explain why it shocked us is all

**Jumin Han**

Well, I’m feeling rather attacked right now.

 **Yoosung** **★**

We aren’t trying to ;;;

 **Yoosung** **★**

I promise it’s coming from a good place

**MC**

You’re our family Jumin and we would never want you

to be hurt or upset

**MC**

But on the same token, you need to know when you’re

upsetting someone as well

**Jumin Han**

But why is everyone else’s happiness more important

to you all then mine?

**Jumin Han**

I can’t think of a single time anyone defended me in here.

**Jumin Han**

Yet, everytime I speak, I’m told I’m doing something wrong.

 **Yoosung** **★**

Hey come on ;;;

 **Yoosung** **★**

We do care about you ofc jumin

**MC**

Maybe we just misunderstand what you’re trying to say?

**MC**

;;;

**MC**

I promise this isn’t an attack, Jumin

**Jumin Han**

You keep saying that and yet, I still feel attacked.

 **Yoosung** **★**

It isn’t an attack ;;;

 **Yoosung** **★**

Jumin please calm down and think about what we’re saying

 **Yoosung** **★**

We’re your friends and you’re a great guy

 **Yoosung** **★**

But you need to understand where we’re coming from, too

**Jumin Han**

You of all people have no right to sit here and lecture me,

Yoosung.

**Jumin Han**

Why don’t you get your good-for-nothing ass off that damn

game and do half the shit I do before trying to act like you’re

better than me.

**MC**

Jumin!!!

**MC**

That was really uncalled for!!!

**MC**

Is something wrong? You aren’t yourself...

**Jumin Han**

I made a mistake and decided to try to pretend some

stupid cunt wanted to be my friend

**Jumin Han left the chatroom**

 

Jumin cringed hard at the comment, a knot forming at the pit of his stomach. What he said to both of them was completely uncalled for. But more so, to MC. Jumin, obviously, was overly emotional during this whole conversation. Yoosung and MC were making a lot of sense and being very patient with him. But he was too caught up in his own feelings that he’d neglected to see that at the time. A twang of guilt reverberated in his chest. He wanted to apologize to the girl, but decided instead to see what else was said on the subject. He scrolled through another few chats and caught a long conversation of the group reacting to his comment. It certainly wasn’t pretty.

 

**Jaehee Kang**

As you wish. Though the idea still upsets me.

**Zen has entered the chatroom.**

**MC**

Thank you Jaehee ;;;

**MC**

I’m sure it was just in the heat of the moment.

**Jaehee Kang**

Zen, hello.

**MC**

Oh hey zen :)

**Zen**

???

**Zen**

??!!

**Zen**

???!

**Zen**

Wow

**Zen**

WOW

 **MC** **  
** You think he found it lol?

**Zen**

W O W

**Zen**

Trust fund does a lot of annoying shit…

**Zen**

...but THIS takes the damn cake

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

I swear next time I see him

**Zen**

I’m knocking his stupid pompous ass UNCONSCIOUS

**Zen**

I’m about to go to his damn house and do it right now

**Jaehee Kang**

Oh dear

**MC**

Please don’t;;;

**MC**

It’s not that big of a deal

**Zen**

Not thta big of a deal?

**Jaehee Kang**

****

**Zen**

Its hnuge freakng dweeal

**Zen**

huge freaking deal

**Zen**

Gah im so mad I can’t type properly

**MC**

Its just words, Zen ;;

**MC**

Jumin didn’t mean them. He was probably having

a bad day is all

**Zen**

MC, thats not the kind of shit you say to a woman

**Zen**

EVER.

**Zen**

Bad day or not

**Zen**

He wants to sit here and act like hes some kind of

etiquette god then he should learn some fucking basic manners

**Zen**

I could spit on him

**Zen**

****

**MC**

Please don’t.

**Jaehee Kang**

Please don’t.

**Jaehee Kang**

Although I do agree that Mr. Han’s behavior has been rather

uncharacteristic of him lately.

**MC**

You think something is bothering him?

**Jaehee Kang**

Definitely plausible.

**Zen**

So?

**Zen**

He had a bad day so it’s ok for him to say awful things

to MC?!! ;;;

**MC**

It’s not ok for anyone to insult a friend

**MC**

But I do understand he might be upset right now

**MC**

So when he feels better we can talk it over.

**Zen**

Man you are too nice ;;;

**Zen**

That jerk really doesn’t deserve it.

**Saeyoung has entered the chatroom.**

**Saeyoung**

Hey

**MC**

Hey babe

**Jaehee Kang**

Hello, Saeyoung

**Zen**

Saeyoung

**Zen**

Did you see it yet.

**Saeyoung**

Ya.

**Saeyoung**

I’m really upset at Jumin right now.

**Saeyoung**

That’s my girl he’s talking about. And I don’t appreciate it.

**MC**

Babe, i already told you its not that big of a

deaaaaaaaaaaaaaa;;;;;;

**Zen**

;;;

**Jaehee Kang**

****

**MC**

It is a huge deal and I hate Jumin Han

**MC**

Also Saeyoung is best boi and i love when he

makes me his kitty ;)

**Saeyoung**

-_-

**Saeyoung**

Don’t.

**MC**

Lolol

**Zen**

Saeyoung. Focus.

**Saeyoung**

Sorry, sorry you’re right.

**Saeyoung**

I don’t know what to do

**Saeyoung**

My integrity as a man wants me to go over there and

knock out all of his teeth

**Saeyoung**

But I also don’t want to get beaten up by bodyguards;;;;

**Zen**

I’ll help you beat him up lol

**Saeyoung**

lolol

**Saeyoung**

u just want a reason to beat up Jumin

**Zen**

Lol

**Zen**

But he really did cross a line

**Zen**

And that’s not ok

 **Yoosung** **★** **has entered the chatroom**.

**Jaehee Kang**

****

**Jaehee Kang**

It certainly puts me in an uncomfortable position.

**Jaehee Kang**

But I am also offended at that comment.

**Zen**

The trust fund shit head doesn’t even deserve you

working for him

**Jaehee Kang**

****

**Jaehee Kang**

But I do have to keep my mouth shut or my job

will be severely compromised. ^^

**Zen**

So you agree that he’s a dick lolol

**MC**

Hey come on guys ;;

**MC**

I’m sure Jumin’s going through something and needs us

to support him, not hate him ;;;

**Zen**

He should have asked for help instead of insult you then...

**Saeyoung**

Hey shooting star~

 **Yoosung** **★**

????

 **Yoosung** **★**

Oh

 **Yoosung** **★**

HEY lol

 **Yoosung** **★**

I must have joined by accident

 **Yoosung** **★**

****

**Zen**

Yoosung

**Zen**

You were there when Jumin said that nasty shit to MC, right?

**Yoosung**

Yeah…

 **Yoosung** **★**

He called me a good for nothing too…

**Zen**

Wow

**Zen**

wtf

 **Yoosung** **★**

It’s not the biggest deal lol

 **Yoosung** **★**

I know I am anyway

**MC**

;;; dont say that

 **Yoosung** **★**

But…

 **Yoosung** **★**

What he said to MC got me really mad

 **Yoosung** **★**

****

**Yoosung** **★**

I would have told him off if he didn’t run away like a coward

**Saeyoung**

Lolol

**Saeyoung**

I wouldn’t mess with yoosung

**Saeyoung**

He’s scary when he’s mad

**Saeyoung**

Contrary to the cute emoji

 **Yoosung** **★**

****

**Yoosung** **★**

You made the cute emojis…

**Saeyoung**

lolololol

**Saeyoung**

That I did

**Saeran joined the chatroom.**

**Saeyoung**

****

**Saeyoung**

There’s my partner in crime

**Zen**

Hey Saeran

 **MC** **  
** Hey hey!

**Jaehee Kang**

Hello

 **Yoosung** **★**

Hey there!

 **Yoosung** **★**

****

**Saeran**

Sup.

**Saeran**

Lol

**Saeran**

Is everyone just roasting cat boy rn

**Zen**

Did you see the shit he said to MC

**Saeran**

Ya

**Saeran**

He’s a huge asshole

**Zen**

Ikr

**Saeran**

Tbh tho

**Saeran**

I dont think he said it cause he hates MC

**Saeran**

If he hates anyone here

**Saeran**

It’s me

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

Why you?

**Saeran**

Think about it

**Saeran**

You see how he always has a target on my back

**Saeran**

If it were saeyoung that put cat pics he wouldnt

have thrown a fit lol

 **Yoosung** **★**

;;;

**Jaehee Kang**

****

**Jaehee Kang**

Mr. Han does behave differently when Saeran is in chat...

**Saeran**

I could care less what that freak thinks of me tbh lol

Jumin’s blood began to boil again at the sight of the newest name to appear in the chatroom. He hated that Saeran figured him out so easily when he tried so desperately to hide his emotions. He hated that no one tried to understand him except for MC, and it took him to call her a cunt to realize that he was upset. He hated how he was just a passing joke for the entirety of the group. He felt like, even if he apologized, it wouldn’t change anything, especially since this was all so new. All of them were so heated, they would probably just jump down his throat all over again, and cause him to say something even more stupid. So he simply forced quit the app and pocketed the phone. He’d had enough of the RFA today anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saeyoung is best boi and i love when he makes me his kitty ;)
> 
>  
> 
> I just recently finished Seven's route for the second time again and read all the secret endings just so i could double-check all the info I was using in this story. I used to play 707 in an rp group (jumin too in the same group lol) and I really miss it, so it's kind of nice to get to write for him again, however brief. Playing his route reminded me of how similar I am to him, which is why I'd refused to play him again when I did it the first time. I thought I hated him, but it was really just a projection of how I felt about myself.
> 
> Idk why i felt the need to add that lol
> 
> But ya. Saeyoung is not my best boy. Jujubean is QoQ
> 
> Also ya I left her name as MC. I just felt like it would be weird using the name I gave her (it's an old nickname I've abandoned), and plus, you can always insert yourself into the story ;) so unless Cheritz makes an official name for her, she'll just be MC in my stories if I ever make more MM fics
> 
> Please look forward to more chapters hopefully next week QuQ


	4. Jumin is Mad at Himself

At around 6pm, Chairman Han appeared in his son’s office for the second time that day. Jumin swallowed hard, his mind replaying what had happened between them incessantly. The Chairman wore a calm expression on his face, clearly having cooled down since the morning. Jumin was thankful for that. 

“Ready to go?” He asked. Jumin smiled and stood, slipping his jacket on. Mr. Han seemed pleased that his son had cleaned himself up. He stood by the door, watching Jumin carefully. Jumin felt himself squirm underneath his father’s gaze but tried not to let it get to him. It was his father, after all. He shouldn’t let one day of getting yelled at destroy their whole dynamic.

The pair exited C&R together, taking Mr. Han’s personal chauffeured limo, far flashier then his own black van. His father was certainly one to flaunt his wealth openly, and while Jumin enjoyed living lavishly, he was rather humble compared to his father.

After about a 15 minute drive, the limo pulled up in front of  _ L’oiseau Chanteur _ , a lovely french restaurant that happened to be Jumin’s favorite as a child. Jumin couldn’t help but smile at the gesture, his entire face lighting up. His father certainly felt bad about their trainwreck of a conversation earlier, and this was his way of making up for it. Mr. Han beamed seeing his son’s expression. 

“Do you still enjoy this restaurant?” He asked gently. Jumin simply nodded, too touched for words. His father chuckled, rubbing his son’s back. “I’m glad, my boy.” 

Jumin and his father exchanged a warm smile as the driver opened the door for them. Jumin confidentally entered the restaurant, his father right behind him. He surveyed the place; the same layout he’d grown to love as a child. He even remembered his favorite seat; by the window to the left, three tables down. His eyes immediately jumped to that spot, ready to claim it as his own, when he stopped in his tracks. There, sitting at Jumin’s table in Jumin’s restaurant was Minister Choi. He looked royally pissed off and didn’t even muster a smile in Jumin’s direction. Jumin turned to his father, feeling horrifically betrayed. 

“Father, what is the meaning of this?” His voice shook in disbelief. 

Chairman Han surveyed his son’s face carefully. “Well, I invited the Minister out for dinner again!” He began, with forced enthusiasm. “He’s agreed to give you one more shot. Isn’t that wonderful? I even told him which one was your favorite table!” He chimed.

The last strand of Jumin’s sensibility snapped. He turned to his father and shouted, loud enough for the minister to hear.

“YOU CAN’T SERIOUSLY EXPECT ME TO SIT WITH HIM, CAN YOU?” Mr. Han’s mouth dropped open in shock. Jumin could no longer help it. He had exhausted all of his emotional control and could no longer filter the flood escaping him. 

“Jumin! What in the world are you doing?! Lower your voice this instant!” His father called, his cheeks turning red.

“No!” Jumin screeched. “You promised it would be just us! If you told me you were bringing him I wouldn’t have agreed to come!” His body was shaking and his face was hot. His father oggled him in disbelief.

“What in the name of hell has gotten into you!?” His father shouted back. “You’re acting like a toddler!”

“Maybe if I were still a toddler, you wouldn’t use me for your own damn whims!” 

“Jumin, for the sake of the company-”

“FUCK THE COMPANY!”

The restaurant fell silent, all eyes on Jumin Han. Chairman Han stood frozen in place, unable to process what was happening. The Prime Minister stood and joined the two men by the front of the restaurant, body guards ghosting him as he moved. 

“I see there’s a lot of resentment towards me,” He said, cooly. “I don’t go where I’m clearly not wanted. It’s a shame, Jumin. I wanted to like you.”

Jumin turned his acidic glare towards the man, quickly closing the distance between them. “Stop acting so goddamn high and mighty! I know exactly what kind of a scumbag you really are!”

“Jumin! That’s more than enough! You’ve made your point!” Chairman Han was physically restraining his son, a few security guards rushing to control the raging young man.

“Pardon?” Mused the Prime Minister. “Scumbag?”

“Saeran Choi!” Jumin spat. He immediately began to kick himself. The Prime Minister’s expression morphed into one of shock. 

“What did you say?” He whispered.

Jumin swallowed, averting his eyes from the man. “Nothing,” he murmured, his throat suddenly bone dry. The Prime Minister’s expression was cold, unreadable. His eyes penetrated Jumin’s skull. The gold gleamed in a dastardly way, very unlike his son’s gleeful eyes. His gaze narrowed.

“How do you know that name?” His voice bellowed deep into Jumin’s chest. Jumin was suddenly finding it very hard to breathe. He took a step back, wanting so desperately to disappear. The Prime Minister chewed his bottom lip, very clearly losing his patience.

“How do you know that name, Jumin Han?” His volume increased, enough to send a chill down Jumin’s spine.

“I’ve… heard it before…” Jumin mumbled in a shaky voice. The Minister’s nose flared. A hand flew to Jumin’s collar, pulling the two men face to face.

“You know him.” He growled. Jumin’s eyes went wide. He froze in his place, unable to formulate words. His blood ran cold. There was a reason this man wasn’t supposed to know about his boys. And he was just now starting to remember why.

“You know him,” he repeated. “That means that he’s... still alive…” There was no joy in his voice at that revelation. 

“May I ask what’s going on here?” Mr. Han stepped forward, pressing himself between the man and his son. The minister released Jumin, who quickly unfroze and scurried behind his bodyguards. 

The Prime Minister began to sport his generic cheerful expression, wrapping an arm around Jumin’s father. 

“Nothing you have to concern yourself with, Mr. Han. Come. You and I can have dinner. There’s no reason to force Jumin to be here against his will.” The Chairman eyed his son, who was pale and clearly distraught. He sighed and followed the man to the table, not uttering a word. Jumin exhaled and speed walked out of the restaurant, flipping the RFA messenger on in a huff.

He had no idea of what he’d gotten them all into.

\-----

The chat room was inconveniently empty. Only Zen seemed to be online. That was the honest to God last person he wanted to speak to right now, but in light of the fact that this may be a potential emergency, he swallowed his pride and jumped in.

**Jumin Han entered the chatroom.**

**Zen**

Wow.

**Zen**

Surprised you have the balls to come back after what you did.

**Jumin Han**

I did something very stupid.

**Zen**

Yeah. Obviously.

Jumin was already regretting his choice to message Zen.

**Jumin Han**

Not that.

**Jumin Han**

I’ll apologize properly to MC when the time is right.

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

Asshole.

**Zen**

You owe her way more than an apology.

**Zen**

You’re lucky I’m not beating your ass myself.

**Jumin Han**

I will compensate her anyway she wants when the 

time comes.

**Jumin Han**

But this message is rather urgent.

**Jumin Han**

I need to be sure Saeyoung gets it.

**Zen**

You could just call him

**Jumin Han**

This messenger is far safer.

**Jumin Han**

And this information is rather sensitive.

**Jumin Han**

I would also prefer not to be around when he receives it.

**Zen**

Whatever.

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

What the hell do you want anyway?

**Zen**

What stupid thing did you do this time?

**Jumin Han**

I may have inadvertently put Saeran in grave danger…

**Zen**

…

**Zen**

You’re kidding me, right?

**Jumin Han**

I wish I was…

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

What the hell did you do this time Jumin Han?

**Jumin Han**

I mentioned his name to the wrong person…

**Zen**

What does that mean...

**Jumin Han**

I can’t say.

**Jumin Han**   
I was sworn to secrecy.

**Zen**

Well, you obviously messed that up.

**Jumin Han**

I am aware

**Jumin Han**

So I ask you to relay a message for me.

**Zen**

Sure I guess

**Jumin Han**

A high profile man who should not know about 

Saeran’s existence now knows we’re associated. 

**Jumin Han**

That means, they can potentially hunt him down

and… who knows.

**Jumin Han**

So until I can promise his safety

**Jumin Han**

No one contact me or associate with me at all

outside of this app. Lest you be involved, as well.

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

Isn’t that a bit extreme?

**Zen**

All he has is a name

**Zen**

...and he’s willing to put people in danger over that???

**Zen**

Just how big of a deal is this person?

**Jumin Han**

Big. Bigger than me. Bigger than my father.

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

Seriously trust fund;;;

**Zen**

How do you get into these situations;;;

**Jumin Han**

****

**Jumin Han**

****

**Jumin Han**

****

**Zen**

Gah stop that!

**Zen**

It’s weird to see you use emojis;;;

**Jumin Han**

But you can spam them?

**Jumin Han**

How is that fair?

**Zen**

;;;

**Zen**

God you are sooo sensitive lately

**Zen**

Fine use your damn emojis

**Jumin Han**

****

**Jumin Han**

Yes. I have been, unfortunately.

**Jumin Han**

It’s that sensitivity that’s gotten me into this situation

in the first place.

**Zen**

Ah.

**Zen**

You sure ur ok, trust fund?

**Zen**

You really have been acting different since

**Zen**

Well y’know...

**Jumin Han**

You began this conversation threatening to “beat my ass”,

**Jumin Han**

...and now you’re worried about me?

**Zen**

Fine. God I take it back!

**Zen**

So back on this dangerous guy…

**Zen**

If he’s going after people you’re associated with…

**Zen**

Doesn’t that mean all of the RFA are in danger?

**Jumin Han**

That’s…

**Jumin Han**

...A possibility.

**Zen**

MY GOD ARE YOU REALLY THIS IRRESPONSIBLE 

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

You made some stupid comment and now we're all in danger!

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

What the hell, Jumin?

**Jumin Han**

I know.

**Jumin Han**

I’m sorry.

**Jumin Han**

I’m really, truly sorry.

**Jumin Han**

I know my lack of responsibility is to blame.

**Jumin Han**

I’ll keep you all safe and fix this.

**Jumin Han**

You have my word.

**Zen**

Your word alone isn’t enough to keep anyone alive, 

Jumin Han.

**Jumin Han**

I am aware.

**Jumin Han**

I do have a bunker prepared in the event of a catastrophe.

**Jumin Han**

We could potentially have the RFA hide in there if need be.

**Zen**

;;;

**Zen**

I really hope it doesn’t come to that…

**Jumin Han**

As do I…

**Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom.**

**Jaehee Kang**

Ah, Mr. Han.

**Jaehee Kang**

How was dinner with the Prime Minister?

**Zen**

…

**Jumin Han**

Were you aware of that as well?

**Jaehee Kang**

Your father did inform me of it right before he’d picked you up ^^;;

**Jaehee Kang**

He desperately wanted this to work out...

**Jumin Han**

Yes, I can see that.

**Jumin Han**

And we didn’t really have dinner...

**Jumin Han**

I had an emotional outburst that resulted in me saying 

something I wasn’t supposed to.

**Jaehee Kang**

Oh dear...

**Zen**

Wait…

**Zen**

The Prime Minister?

**Zen**

Like

**Zen**

The guy who runs the country???

**Zen**

Jumin, please don't tell me you made enemies with 

the goddamn prime minister...

**Jaehee Kang**

What?

**Jumin Han**

****

**Jaehee Kang**

****

**Jaehee Kang**

Just what on God’s green earth did I miss in the past 15 minutes? ^^

**Zen**

JUMIN

  
**Zen**

JUMIN IS THE PRIME MINISTER THE GUY YOU’VE 

BEEN TALKIGN ABOUT???

**Jumin Han**

Yes…

**Zen**

fhdh

**Zen**

hkjhj

**Zen**

oiulfyhcvngb

**Zen**

THE

**Zen**

PRIME

**Zen**

MIN

**Zen**

IS

**Zen**

TER

**Zen**

???!!!

**Jaehee Kang**

Zen please no spamming ;;

**Zen**

Sorry;;;

**Zen**

But

**Zen**

The Prime Minister?!

**Zen**

And why would he be so mad to hear Saeran’s name??

**Jumin Han**

...

**Zen**

Is there something you all haven’t told me??

**Jumin Han**

You would have to ask Saeyoung to explain it to you…

**Jumin Han**

It is not my story to tell…

**Jaehee Kang**

But you did already compromise the integrity of it ^^

**Jaehee Kang**

And I would certainly prefer Zen to know over the

Prime Minister.

**Jaehee Kang**

****

**Jumin Han**

Please stop teasing me. 

**Jumin Han**

****

**Jumin Han**

I am aware of how badly I messed up.

**Jaehee Kang**

****

**Jaehee Kang**

Teasing you?

**Jumin Han**

Oh that’s right

**Jumin Han**

Before I forget

**Jumin Han**

I think for the sake of your safety

**Jumin Han**

You should take some time off as well, Assistant.

**Jaehee Kang**

****

**Jaehee Kang**

Well, I suppose it can’t be helped.

**Jaehee Kang**

I should take some time to keep myself safe

**Jaehee Kang**

And watch a few of Zen’s DVDs

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

I always appreciate your support, Jaehee~

**Zen**

But can one of you explain what the big deal about

the Prime Minister knowing about Saeran is?;;;;

**Zen**

I’m lost…

**Saeyoung entered the chatroom.**

**Jumin Han**

That’s my cue to get lost as well.

**Saeyoung**

Don’t you fucking dare.

**Jumin Han has left the chatroom.**

**Jumin Han has entered the chatroom.**

**Jumin Han**

Did you just force me back in?

**Saeyoung**

I have about 300 reasons why I would like to 

kill you right now.

**Jumin Han**

Understandable.

**Saeyoung**

Shut up.

**Jaehee Kang**

;;;

**Jaehee Kang**

I suppose I shouldn’t get involved in this ;;;

**Jaehee Kang**

Please settle this rationally, gentlemen.

**Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom.**

**Saeyoung**

Is your head up your ass today, Jumin Han?

**Saeyoung**

First you call my fiance a cunt

**Saeyoung**

And then you throw my brother to the wolves, 

despite all the shit he went through and how 

hard it was to get him back

**Saeyoung**

Do you own a fucking brain?

**Jumin Han**

I’m sorry. I know I;ve been doing a lot of things wrong lately…

**Saeyoung**

So just stop. Before you hurt everyone.

**Saeyoung**

Let me take care of Saeran and this Prime Minister bullshit.

**Saeyoung**

Before you make it any worse.

**Jumin Han**

That’s fine.

**Jumin Han**

If you need my help, I’ll provide whatever I can.

**Saeyoung**

You can help by staying the hell away from my family.

**Zen**

Hey Saeyoung, I think that’s a little rough.

**Saeyoung**

??

**Saeyoung**

Really Zen?

**Saeyoung**

Were you not the one saying you’re gonna kick Jumin’s 

ass for what he said to MC?

**Zen**

I did

**Zen**

But I’m realizing he didn;t do it in spite;;;

**Zen**

Jumin’s not himself right now, Saeyoung

**Zen**

Don’t forget that

**Zen**

I don’t understand the gravity of this whole 

situation but…

**Saeyoung**

Zen, I really didn’t want to have to tell anyone this.

**Saeyoung**

The Prime Minister is my biological father.

**Saeyoung**

Obviously, I don’t know the guy and I would

prefer to keep it that way

**Saeyoung**

But from what I understood, our mother told him we were dead

**Saeyoung**

But if smart ass Jumin Han told him that Saeran 

is alive, kicking and friends with an influential millionaire

**Saeyoung**

He’s not gonna be happy about that.

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

THE PRIME MINISTER

**Zen**

IS YOUR DAD

**Zen**

And what’s worse

**Zen**

He might try to hurt Saeran

**Zen**

And you too;;;;;

**Zen**

Whoa;;;

**Zen**

I think I need to lay down…

**Saeyoung**

Ya,

**Saeyoung**

It’s a whole shitstorm

**Saeyoung**

That was supposed to be buried a long time ago

**Saeyoung**

But a certain idiot

**Saeyoung**

Decided to bring it back ^^

**Jumin Han**

I do sincerely apologize, Saeyoung.

**Jumin Han**

It slipped out in the heat of the moment. 

**Saeyoung**

Like how you called my fiance a cunt?

**Jumin Han**

Yes… that as well...

**Saeyoung**

Ya well until I can guarantee that he won’t be coming after us

**Sayoung**

Your apology means nothing.

**Jumin Han**

I understand.

**Jumin Han**

And I know you said you don’t want my help

**Jumin Han**

But as I told Zen, I do have a bunker prepared in 

the event that things escalate.

**Saeyoung**

Whatevs.

**Saeyoung**

If I need it, i’ll let u know.

  
**Zen**

Man this is all too much ;;;

**Zen**

I think I need a cig;;;

**Zen**

I’ll be back on later

**Saeyoung**

Kk

**Saeyoung**

And be careful

**Saeyoung**

We don’t know if this guy has any sort of weird plan

**Zen**

Ya

**Zen**

I will

**Zen**

See ya

**Saeyoung**

****

**Zen has left the chatroom.**

**Jumin Han**

I suppose I should go as well.

**Saeyoung**

Ya.

**Saeyoung has left the chatroom.**

**Jumin Han**

I do wish to say first that I truly am sorry for 

what happened today. First, for insulting MC

and Yoosung. I said something highly

inappropriate to the both of them, and 

regardless of whether or not they’ve forgiven 

me or are no longer offended by it, I do realize

it was completely uncalled for and I feel 

absolutely terrible about it. I would be willing to 

compensate them both in any way they choose, 

once this new issue is resolved. And I would also 

like to apologize for putting Saeran in danger. 

I was furious at my father for forcing me to sit 

with the minister again, because thinking about what 

he’d done to you two infuriated me so much, and I

couldn’t tolerate even seeing the man. In the heat 

of the moment, I screamed Saeran’s name to spite 

him, but I’d forgotten how dangerous it would be

for him to know where the both of you 

were at the time. I hadn’t intended to push anyone

into danger and I know that if anything were to 

happen, I would be the one to blame. My 

emotions have been unreasonably hard for me to

control lately and I just can’t understand where

they’ve been coming from, nor how to control

them. I suppose that’s not an excuse, but since 

V’s passing, I’ve been rather overwhelmed.

I do sincerely apologize if 

I’ve offended anyone because of it.

**Jumin Han**

Oh.

**Jumin Han**

He left.

**Jumin Han**

Well, good night.

**Jumin Han has left the chatroom.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chairman would totally have a limo
> 
> The prime minister totally needs to get knocked out :3
> 
> Jumin totally needs a hug ;<;
> 
> Seven is not a happy seven
> 
> So i googled songbird in french and i got L'Oiseau Chateur. Idk how accurate that is. My knowledge of french is very smol since i only took one very condensed 5 week semester and retained nothing : D
> 
> Even if hes kind of a jerk sometimes, Jumin's dad still loves him and tries to do smol things to make him smile. I like to think the minister showing up was a last minute decision and Chairman Han originally really did want to make his son smile with the choice of restaurant :v
> 
> Also yes. Jumin done fucked up :<: here come dat angst  
> o shit waddup
> 
> Also I changed the number of chapters from 10 to 11 because im currently on chpt 11 in writing :3 i just about hit the climax so im guess it wont go past 15 but we shall see~
> 
> >>Jumin crying emoji is the best emoji in the game. I will spam it to hell no regrets


	5. Jumin is Mad at V

For the second night in a row, Jumin found himself unable to sleep. His chest burned every time he thought of the massive paragraph he’d addressed to Saeyoung that he was sure the other man didn’t even bother to read. He knew that Saeyoung was upset, clearly. And since Jumin had offended both members of his family in a 24 hour span, he had every right to be. But just the idea of the unread message just sitting there plagued at him. He felt exposed; his feelings on display for the next person who waltzed into the messenger, regardless of whom it may be. And while, if the message were to be private, he could have messaged Saeyoung personally, he had a feeling the red head wouldn’t have read it, anyway.

Day replaced the night, and Jumin’s eyes were frozen open to greet the sun yet again. To avoid yesterday’s mishap, he called out sick. It was partially because he really wanted to sleep, partially because he wanted to avoid his father and partially because he just wanted to be alone. He rolled over onto his side, back facing the giant wall-length window overlooking the city. He blinked at nothing, wanting the last year of his life to be erased. His mind rehearsed the massive paragraph he’d read 200 times already over and over. The penultimate line was embedded in his corneas: “I suppose that’s not an excuse, but since V’s passing, I’ve been rather overwhelmed.” He was sure the others would see it as a cop-out, but it was the truth that even he didn't want to acknowledge. V dying so suddenly fucked him up big time.

The funeral of his best friend was disappointingly small; only the RFA, a few friends and a few fans of V’s were in attendance. Even V’s own father hadn’t gone, much to Jumin’s dismay. The older man even refused to answer his phone calls. Eventually, Jumin figured whatever was between them should stay between them. Although he was missing his own son’s funeral simply because they didn’t get along, Jumin tried not to hate the older man for his decision to stay away.

Jumin stood by, watching everything unfold, almost in a trance. From what the others had told him, not an ounce of grief was present on the man’s face; if anything he just looked tired. They thought nothing of it, as Jumin wasn’t the kind to have many visible emotions. There were points, he recalled, when his own calmness baffled him. The ceremony ended, and the only one to shed a tear was Yoosung, ironically, since the boy claimed to hate V all those years. No one was entirely sure why Jumin was so calm, not even Jumin. But eventually, they got their answer.

The news hadn’t actually hit Jumin until a few weeks later.

Once everything had been seemingly resolved with the issues surround V, Rika and Saeran, Jumin had made the decision to clean out V’s home, stating that he would like to auction off the remainder of V’s photos at a future RFA party. The others were baffled by him, and tried to argue that it was too soon. He eventually won the argument, insisting V would have wanted it that way. Zen refused to let him go alone, convinced that Jumin hadn’t actually processed what had happened. And Zen was right. Jumin had gone through a single shelf in V’s bedroom before having a massive panic attack, screaming at a V who was no longer with them and throwing the deceased man’s things around. Zen was able to calm him and he spent the night at Zen’s, slipping between nightmares and fits of rage. He felt betrayed, hurt and broken, and he’d repeated it several times to a very patient Zen over the course of the night. He’d gone home the next day, despite Zen’s protests, and tried to convince the others that he was fine now that he’d had a strong emotional reaction. No one was entirely sold, and Jumin had been drastically different since.

Jumin buried his face into his pillow, feeling his breathing start to hitch. He practiced a trick Zen had taught him that night to calm his nerves; count backwards from 100 by 2’s. By 56, his breathing had returned to normal and his anxiety subsided. By 24, he’d fallen asleep.

\---

Jumin was awoken by the sound of his cellphone ringing. He jumped at the vibration, reading “MC” on the highlighted phone screen. His heart fell into his stomach as he pressed the answer button, knowing she must have seen the message.

“Hello?” He breathed into the phone, his voice still sore from shouting earlier.

“Jumin!” Came a cheery whisper on the other side. He relaxed slightly, glad that MC was so chipper. That was a good sign.

“Good morning, MC.”

“Good morning?” She giggled. “It’s 4pm!”

Jumin blinked in shock and looked at his phone. It read 3:57pm.

“I...don’t even remember falling asleep…” He muttered, completely disoriented.

“How are you feeling today?” She whispered again. He assumed she was hiding the call from her future husband.

Jumin sighed. “Fine.” He lied. He didn't have the energy to elaborate. There was a pause on the other side before he heard her inhale.

“I saw the message from last night,” she began, making Jumin’s heart race again. “Thank you for apologizing. I knew you didn’t mean it and you were just upset.”

“Your welcome,” he breathed into the receiver. “It was certainly an inappropriate thing of me to say and I know it’s not really justifiable.”

MC sighed. “You’re allowed to feel, Jumin. Don’t think that any of this happened because of your feelings.” Jumin bit his lip.

“I know you’re still hurting about what happened to V. And so I know why you react the way you do in the chatroom with certain people…” Jumin swallowed hard. She’d noticed why he was so abrasive to Saeran, it seemed. “But please know that things have changed and people can change, too. I can’t ask you to forgive and forget but…”

“Try to be nicer…” he finished, rolling his eyes. He felt like that were an attack on his feelings, but he brushed it off and tried to keep himself calm.

“Well, yes. But I was going to say please don’t take it out in more destructive ways…” Jumin’s jaw dropped.

“What?” His voice cracked.

“Well I meant like-”

“You think that slip of Saeran’s name is because I’m trying to get back at him?” His hands shook.

MC sighed impatiently. “That’s not what I’m saying, Jumin…”

“God knows how hard I’ve tried to accept Saeran and forgive him for everything that happened back then. I’ve shut my mouth so many times and sat by while he humiliated me in front of all of you-”

“It’s not about Saeran!” She tried to intercept. But he just continued talking over her.

“-but despite all that, I do my damn best to make sure everyone is safe and happy and now you want to sit here and tell me that I’m conspiring to kill him because I’m angry?”

“Jumin, I swear that isn’t what I was trying to say-”

“Then what  _ were  _ you trying to say?” Jumin was consumed with rage, not even entirely sure what  _ he  _ was trying to say and where he’d drawn such a conclusion.

MC took a deep breath and hesitated. “Jumin, I’m really worried about you…” she began, gently. “I’m worried about your mental state right now.” His breathing was erratic and silent sobs escaped his lips as tears fell onto his bare torso.  _ Goddamn it, not again… _  he thought.

“I don’t want you to hurt yourself, Jumin.”

“I won’t hurt myself.” He snapped, and shut the phone off in her face before tossing it across the room. He wasn’t sure if he should be offended or not at the comment. The night he’d stayed at Zen’s, he’d thrown a few empty threats around about taking his own life. Understandably, the other’s had taken it very seriously. He told them later that he had no intention of actually hurting himself and to forget about it, but it was very clear that they were all intensely worried he’d snap some day.

He’d be lying if he said he hadn't thought about it a few times.

Jumin calmed his breathing again and retrieved the phone from its place behind the bed.

 

**Jumin Han**

I’m sorry. I’ll be alright. I just need to cool down.

**MC**

That’s fine. Please feel better.

**MC**   
And let me know if you need anything.

 

He stared at the private messages to the girl for a moment, suddenly feeling awful about jumping to conclusions. He’d been exceptionally guilty of that lately. He had almost put his phone back down when an incoming text from the RFA chat shocked him enough to join the messenger.

 

**Saeyoung**

Where the hell is Zen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried really hard not to make this chapter reliant on chatrooms since i did that with the last couple chapters. I wanted it to be more novel like, so theres just a little at the end cause i felt like i couldnt avoid it. Hence why its a million years shorter. The chatrooms take up like 11 pages each OTL
> 
> Also, redoing seven's route and the secret endings made me remember a very important detail: we never learn how Jumin reacted to V's death. Before Jumin walked into the room, the VN cuts off and skips ahead in time. As an obsessive Jumin fangirl that made me hungry for more, so im prob gonna be exploring that in a future chapter :3 Even Jumin Han has to feel something over the death of his best friend, right? He flipped out when V lied about having cancer (in Jaehee's route), so clearly V is a sensitive subject for him.
> 
> Also God bless sweet Zenny <3 I'm going to go over this part in more detail later but Zen is default mama bear, hence why he actually defended Jumin (for a second) against 7.
> 
> Also fuck V's dad. At least go to his funeral, fuck face.
> 
> Since this story is generating very little interest, I figured I would just put up 3 chapters at a time to get it over with. I do enjoy writing it and would like to see it through to the end, but I guess since its not a ship fic its not as popular ;A; thats the price i'll pay lol its not the best story but im proud of it enough to try and finish it :3 i dont usually finish stories but im happy with where this one is going~
> 
> Where in the wooooorld is Zen~?


	6. Seven is Mad at Jumin

Jumin gawked at his RFA messenger notification, completely taken aback by Saeyoung’s question to the group. He jumped into the chatroom, which consisted of MC, Yoosung, Saeran and, of course, Saeyoung. It appeared as though the group were talking for a while, as his massive paragraph of text was buried beneath a wall of emojis and small talk. The most recent message was the one Saeyoung had sent.

 

**Saeyoung**

Where the hell is Zen?

 

Jumin decided to catch up on the messages before jumping in, unsure of why he hadn’t received any notifications from the others. He decided to ask Saeyoung about it once he understood the situation better, if Saeyoung would even speak to him.

 

**Yoosung** **★**

What do you mean?;;

**Saeyoung**

He hasn’t been in the chat since last night.

**Saeyoung**

Zen is not like that…

**Saeyoung**

He disappeared last night and I haven’t heard from him since.

**MC**

That is worrisome;;;

**Yoosung** **★**

Have you tried calling him?

**Saeyoung**

Ya.

**Saeyoung**

No answer.

**Yoosung** **★**

I hope he’s ok ;;;

**Yoosung** **★**

He must’ve got caught up at work or something

**Saeyoung**

That’s best case scenario.

**Saeyoung**

Considering what happened with trust fund baby yesterday

**Saeyoung**

Something bad could have happened.

**MC**

Saeyoung;;;

**MC**

Be nice;;;

**Saeyoung**

I’m nice when people deserve it.

**Saeyoung**

I’m gonna go try to see if I can do some investigating.

**Saeyoung**

If any of you hear from him

**Saeyoung**

Call me immediately

**Yoosung** **★**

Ok ;;;

**Yoosung** **★**

****

**Yoosung** **★**

Now I’m really worried;;;

**Saeyoung**

Me too

**Jumin Han has entered the chatroom.**

**Jumin Han**

What’s going on in here?

**Jumin Han**

Also I am confused as to why I haven’t received

any of these messages.

**Yoosung** **★**

Hyung ;;;

**MC**

Jumin!

**MC**

Zen may possibly be missing ;;;

**Jumin Han**

Shall I send someone to his house to investigate?

**Saeyoung**

Why?

**Saeyoung**

So you can call him a cunt and ruin his life too?

**Saeran**

Lolol

**Jumin Han**

I understand that you are upset with me.

**Jumin Han**

But this is a serious situation.

**Saeyoung**

Trust me. I DO know how serious this situation is.

**Saeyoung**

I don’t need your crybaby ass rn

**Saeyoung**

You didn’t get any messages because I blocked you temporarily

**Saeyoung**

Because I didn’t want to see your name in here

**Yoosung** **★**

Hyung;;;

**Yoosung** **★**

That’s not right.

**Saeyoung**

As far as I’m concerned

**Saeyoung**

It’s right.

**Jumin Han**

I don’t require your permission.

**Jumin Han**

I’m going to be sending people to Zen’s home to investigate.

**Saeyoung**

Do what you want

**Saeyoung**

I don’t really care what you do.

**Jumin Han**

Then I will be logging off to investigate.

**Jumin Han**

I shall report back here if they find anything.

**Yoosung** **★**

Good luck hyung;;;

**Jumin Han**

****

**Jumin Han**

Then

**Jumin Han has left the chatroom.**

 

This was just the amount of severity that Jumin needed to whip him back into shape. He immediately made a phone call, sending some of his security team to Zen’s apartment. They estimated that they would arrive within 15 minutes, so Jumin took that opportunity to shower and change.

He had just slipped his suit jacket on when his phone began to ring again. He recognized the number of the head of security, and answered it like lightning.

“Han speaking.”

“Mr. Han. We’ve arrived at the predetermined location, but…” There was a very pregnant pause. Jumin could hear the man swallow. “It appears we’ve arrived too late.”

Jumin froze in his tracks. “What do you mean ‘too late’?” He could feel his heartbeat in his throat and his hands began to quiver.

“It appears the building has been burned down. We have no information as to whether or not there was anyone inside, but we’re on the scene with the fire department right now.”

“Shit… this is not good…” He mumbled. “Please keep your eyes open. We have to find Zen at all costs.”

“Yes sir.” Came the other voice. Jumin ended the call, his teeth digging into his bottom lip. He opened the RFA messenger immediately, not looking at the participant list.

 

**Jumin Han entered the chatroom.**

**Jumin Han**   
I’m afraid I have terrible news.

**Saeran**

What did you do this time, jerk.

**Jumin Han**

I sent people to investigate Zen’s building.

**Saeyoung**

And?

**Jumin Han**

And according to them, it’s been burned to a crisp.

**Saeyoung**

!!!

**Saeyoung**

Oh God

**Saeyoung**

Lord, please protect Zen from whatever harm this idiot threw him into…

**Jumin Han**

Can you refrain from hating me for a moment so I can explain what I know?

**Saeyoung**

WHATS THERE TO EXPLAIN

**Saeyoung**

YOU PICKED THE WRONG ENEMY

**Saeyoung**

AND NOW ZEN IS DEAD

**Jumin Han**

Zen is not dead.

**Jumin Han**

There is no evidence to support that.

J **umin Han**

I will receive a call when there is evidence

**Jumin Han**

So you may continue to pray for Zen’s safety.

**Saeyoung**

Don;t tell me what to do

**Saeyoung**

If anything happens to Zen, I will never forgive you.

**Jumin Han**

If anything happens to Zen, don’t forgive me.

**Jumin Han has left the chatroom.**

 

Jumin’s hands were once again shaking with rage. But he needed to get his shit together now. Zen was in danger. He was ultimately to blame if anything were to happen to the young actor and he would certainly never forgive himself. He took a deep breath and collected himself, turning his thoughts to protecting Zen. He pulled on his shoes and had Driver Kim prepare the car. He decided to go see the damage for himself.

Driver Kim arrived within five minutes after Jumin had explained the situation to him. He always appreciated Driver Kim’s promptness and expert driving skills. He smiled in spite of himself and headed out of the door. He passed through to the main lobby of his building in long, elegant strides. His face had returned to its natural, stoic state and his mind was focused. The doorman chased him down just as he was about to climb into his car.

“Mr. Han!” he called. “I almost forgot!” He was no older than Yoosung, with an innocent face and big, green eyes. “Some men in suits left you this letter and told me I needed to hand deliver it to you!” He held the small envelope out to Jumin, who took it curiously.

“Men in suits? That’s rather vague for someone in my field.” He cocked his eyebrows and inspected it. It was only a plain, white, unmarked envelope.

“Sorry, sir. That’s all I really remembered.” The boy rubbed his head, sheepishly.

“What’s your name?”

““Jaongsoo Kim.” The boy said nervously, hoping his job wasn’t just compromised. Instead, Jumin smiled warmly.

“Thank you, Jaongsoo.” And with that, he entered the car and had Driver Kim drive off, leaving the boy standing there in confusion.

Jumin turned the envelope over in his hands one more time before tearing off the seal. Inside, there was a single picture. Jumin gasped sharply, causing driver Kim to turn around.

“Is everything alright, sir?” He called, his eyes bouncing between Jumin and road in front of him.

Jumin shook his head no, not caring that the man couldn’t hear his reaction.

“Driver Kim,” He said finally, once he’d caught his breath. “I have a new destination.”

Jumin snapped a photo of the image in front of him. He jumped into the RFA chat, sending a string of coordinates with a single message: Saeyoung, get everyone to these coordinates immediately.” He uploaded the digital image of the photo into the group chat and sat back nervously.

The image was rather blurry, but Jumin could easily make out that it was Zen, tied to a chair, blindfolded in some dark room.

The shitstorm was truly about to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He's back baby~  
> Zen is in danger, so Jumin switches into serious mode!
> 
> Also I can totally see Seven getting really defensive over anything having to do with Saeran, but like... Saeran is now in serious danger. So I would imagine he'd be super abrasive towards Jumin. And lock him out of the chat. Because he can.
> 
> Where in the world is Zen~?  
> And no. He's not asleep at a salon. That would be really nice actually...
> 
> It lowkey breaks my heart that everyone kinda moved on from MM. Like I tried out the amino a few weeks ago and out of 100k registered users, 500 were online. I know nothing really lasts forever, but MM was something that really helped me through a rough time. I was losing friends and had no one to talk to and felt like everyone hated me. When I started MM, Yoosung was my first route and he really felt like a friend that I needed and could latch on to. That gave me the courage to go out and find more friends; my RP group where i finally felt like I had people who loved me. Of course, nothing lasts forever, and no one is particularly active in there anymore, but I will never forget how much they meant to this lonely Seven and how they changed my world. I'll never forget you guys QoQ  
> So yeah, seeing the fandom kinda die down is really heart breaking. I know its over a year old now, so I cant really blame them, but it still makes me wish it didn't have to be like that. Maybe one day something like MM can come along and make me happy all over again :3
> 
> Please expect 3 more chapters next week!


	7. Zen Should be Mad at Jumin

The bunker was relatively small; about the size of an average studio apartment. It was built to accommodate a single person, but Jumin had no choice but to squeeze all six of the remaining RFA members in the tight space. There was no room for anything, but most importantly, no room to complain, as they had all gotten there safely. Luckily, even when mad, Saeyoung still did what he was asked, and for that, he was grateful. The bunker was small and stuffy, but it was solid and secure. And no matter what his enemy threw at him, there was no way he could get to the RFA now.

Aside from Zen. The image of Zen being restrained, and God knows what else, was burned into his mind. Jumin sat on the bunker’s only chair, rubbing his temples. The small, draftless grey walls were a constant reminder of how bad he’d screwed up, all because he couldn’t control his damn mouth.

It was about 3am, and witching hour had set a certain eeriness in the small room. The single bed on the left side was occupied by MC and Jaehee, both of them currently asleep, eyes puffy from crying over Zen. Yoosung was curled up in the corner, also asleep, the occasional sniffle escaping from him. Saeyoung and Saeran were both sitting in another corner, facing each other. Each were on his laptop doing his best to trace Zen’s location.

It was Yoosung who broke the silence. “Hyung? Any news?” He almost whispered in Seven’s direction, rubbing sleep from his violet eyes.

Saeran looked up, answering for his brother. “We’ve spent all day trying to trace Zen’s phone… It was moving for a while, but the signal’s gone completely dead.” They’d been in the bunker now for nearly eight hours now and the twins had barely moved from their spots. MC had to force them both to eat occasionally. Yoosung nodded and stared blankly ahead at nothing. They’d heard that same line about four times now, and it no longer shocked or comforted any of them. The room was pin silent again, nothing but the sound of typing reverberating off of the concrete walls.

This time, Jumin broke the silence. “It’s getting late. Maybe you two can give it a rest for now and get some sleep.” 

Seven scoffed. “I’m not giving up until I can find Zen and bring him home safely.” 

Jumin was now standing, toying with his cufflinks as he stretched his tired legs.

“But right now, you’re just getting dead ends, are you not? Wouldn’t it be wise to save your energy and try again when you have a better lead?” Seven slipped his headphones over his ears to drown the older man out. Of course he was right, but Seven didn’t want to give him that satisfaction. Instead, he continued to search for… he wasn’t even sure what he was searching for. He just kept tracing Zen’s phone over and over, hoping that, even for a split second, the signal would come on and he could pinpoint the location.

“I think Jumin is right, Hyung,” Saeran said with a yawn. “It’s late and I can’t even see straight.”

“Then go to sleep.” Seven said, blandly. 

“I know you’re tired, too. And I know you’re getting just as many dead ends as I am.” Saeran stretched his neck and stood, rubbing his tired shoulders. “Why eat up all your energy on the small things when something bigger is on its way?”

Seven sighed and relaxed. “Fine.” He tightly shut his laptop screen and stood as well. 

“I’ll sleep for a few hours and get right back to work. Though I’m not comfortable with all of us being asleep.”

“I’ll be awake.” Jumin volunteered. “I highly doubt I’ll be able to sleep in these conditions anyway.”

Seven smirked, bitterly. “Is the floor not good enough for you, trust fund?”

Jumin ignored the comment, moving his chair to the entrance of the bunker to keep a look out. Seven shrugged, laying on the floor beside his brother and Yoosung. Within a few moments, all three of them had fallen back to sleep, leaving Jumin alone with his thoughts.

They had all been ordered to leave their phones at home to keep them from being traced. In an attempt to keep himself awake, he allowed his mind to wander to his mission: getting Zen back in one piece.

Jumin and Zen had never entirely gotten along; he wasn’t sure why, but Zen seemed to hate him from the get go. But after he’d spent the night with Zen, the younger man had bit his tongue more often than not when addressing Jumin. What used to be endless bickering between the two had become Zen halfheartedly agreeing with Jumin as to not upset him. It infuriated and touched Jumin; he hated feeling like Zen looked down on him, but also secretly liked that Zen worried about him. It wasn’t entirely logical as Zen had no reason to be nicer simply because Jumin was mourning. But when your emotions rule your thinking, things aren’t always logical. 

Jumin sighed. That’s what got them all into this current situation. He’d let his emotions rule his thoughts and now Zen was in danger.  _ Zen must be positively fuming right now _ … He thought with a sigh. He owed his life to Zen after what the white haired man had done for him, and Jumin would fully accept if Zen were mad at him now. He just didn’t know how many more people hating him he could take. 

\---

**Zen**

I think I’ll go with trust fund

**Zen**

I don’t think he should be going there by himself

**Jaehee Kang**

Are you sure Zen?

**Zen**

Yeah

**Zen**

Something tells me the news just hasn’t hit him yet

**Zen**

And if he goes to V’s house

**Zen**

Well

**Zen**

It will

**Jumin Han**

****

**Jumin Han**

You do not have to worry about me

**Zen**

****

**Zen**

Just shut up and pick me up before you go, trust fund

\---

Zen wasn’t usually the one to volunteer to go anywhere with Jumin, but his dreams over the past few days had told him he needed to be there. Images of Jumin walking off of the cliff behind V’s house confused him endlessly. That was, until the older man mentioned going to scavenge V’s home for photos to auction off at a future RFA party. Zen knew his dreams usually held a lot more weight than most people’s, and were, dare to say, prophetic. But to avoid being made fun of by the businessman, he kept his dream out of the conversation. Zen could never read Jumin’s emotions, but he knew that even this robot of a man had to feel something over the death of his best friend. Whether this adventure would be closure for Jumin or the opening of the flood gates, Zen figured he needed to be there to keep the man from doing something dangerous.

At exactly 5pm, there was a loud honk outside of Zen’s door. Zen was rehearsing his script, checking his phone nervously to see if he’d missed a call from Jumin. He hadn’t. He rolled his eyes, and wearing a white tank top and sweatpants, pulled the door open angrily. Jumin was standing two inches from his face, his expression completely lifeless. 

“Gah! What the hell is wrong with you?!” Zen shouted, jumping a few feet back. His hair, loose and down his back, flapped over his face and into his mouth. He spit the strands out and brushed it out of his face. “Ever hear of ringing the bell?”

“I wasn’t sure which was yours, so I decided not to ring any.” Jumin’s mouth was twisted in amusement.

Trying not to go off on the man, Zen’s face rested in his palm for a moment before looking up at Jumin.

“And you couldn’t call me because…?”

“It appears I have forgotten my phone at home.”

Zen shook his head, rolling his eyes again. He was slowly beginning to regret volunteering to go with Jumin to V’s house.

But he quickly remembered why he did it. 

He opened his door wider and gestured for the older man to come in.

“Take a seat, trust fund. I need to change.” Jumin nodded and entered Zen’s apartment, sitting on the loveseat facing the TV. Zen retreated into his bedroom, pulling on a black T-shirt and jeans, admiring himself in the mirror longer than necessary. He washed his face and brushed his hair, tying it into a neat ponytail, before entering the living room to greet Jumin.  
“Your living room reeks of cigarettes,” was the greeting Zen received. “Is that anyway to treat a guest?”

“I see no guest. Now shut up and let’s go.”

“You know, you don’t have to come with me. I can handle it by myself.” Jumin said, cooly, as he stood from his seat and turned towards the door. Zen exhaled deeply and hesitated, trying to remember that, as aggravating as he was, Jumin was still very much grieving. Or should be. 

“No,” he retorted. “I do have to come with you.” Jumin shrugged and got back into his waiting black van. Zen locked the door to his apartment and followed, trying to hide how impressed he was at the leather interior. 

“Like it?” Smirked Jumin, catching Zen’s bewildered expression. Zen looked away and shrugged, trying to brush it off. Jumin merely sniggered and looked out the window. 

The ride was relatively silent the whole way to V’s home all the way in the mountains. Technically, the house should belong to Rika now, but since she was mentally incapacitated and in another country, Jumin decided to take measures into his own hands. He wasn’t entirely sure where they’d sent Rika, but he figured it best that he didn't know, for he’d have to report it if he did. And as angry as he was with her, he didn’t want to have to lock her in jail forever when she was debilitated. He’d prefer her to make amends when she was mentally capable of understanding what she had done, which, after the shock V’s death had clearly caused her, wouldn’t be anytime soon.

Jumin crossed his arms and frowned, not entirely pleased that she’d gotten away with what she had done with only a slap on the wrist. He felt especially betrayed because he’d fallen for her at one point, on top of all of the grief she’d caused V leading up to his ultimate death. He wasn’t sure how he would react seeing Rika again after the funeral and decided he’d rather not see her again. He was secretly thankful that Zen had sent her away, despite having to pretend he wasn’t.

He’d felt just as displeased with Saeran. It was a similar situation; the boy was mentally unstable and currently in therapy. He was on many different kinds of drugs thanks to Rika and Mint Eye, and what he’d done was almost pardoned because of it. He did understand that he was not in the right state of mind, but that didn’t mean it made it ok. But he’d decided for everyone’s sake he would pretend Saeran was innocent and V killed himself. He wasn’t allowed to talk about it anyway, and playing along made it hurt a little less. 

Jumin was brought back to earth with Zen snapping his fingers.

“Trust fund, you alive? We’re here.” He stared intently at Jumin, who coughed in response.

“My apologies. I must have gotten lost in thought.” He toyed with his cufflinks as Driver Kim opened the door for the two men. Zen climbed out first, thanking the chauffeur with a pat on the back and a dazzling smile. Jumin slipped out of the car after him, nodding at Driver Kim, who nodded back and shut the door behind him. Jumin looked up at the house perched atop the sunny mountain. A certain tightness built in his chest. He wasn’t entirely sure what it was, and so shrugged it off, assuming it to be gas. Zen’s eyes were glued to him as he walked up to the front door, pulling it open with ease to his surprise.

“Guess V didn’t believe in locking his doors…” Zen murmured. Jumin walked inside, surveying the area carefully. 

“Everything looks to be in order…” He mumbled. “No signs of a break in.”

Zen smiled weakly and walked in behind him. “So where do you wanna start?”

“I suppose you can start in here,” Jumin gestured to the living room they found themselves in. “And I’ll start in the bedroom. Please try not touch anything personal. We’re simply here to acquire some photographs to use for a future auction.” 

Jumin heard Zen swallow. “You sure you’re ok, Jumin? You’re looking kinda pale…” Jumin furrowed his brows in confusion. 

“I feel fine. Maybe a little tired.” Zen sighed and nodded, stepping into the living room.

“I’ll get to work in here then. If you need me, lemme know.” Zen called as Jumin stepped into V’s bedroom.

“Alright.” He called back, turning his attention towards a shelf in the corner, boxes of photos lining each row. He reached for a box on the top shelf, dusting it off with his hand. The box was filled with landscapes, likely taken in different countries. Jumin placed it on the bed, certainly planning to auction a few for charity. He reached up for a second box, his chest suddenly feeling a bit tighter. He exhaled before pulling the lid off of the box, not even stopping to dust it off. He coughed once before looking into it. It was filled with pictures of Rika. He was in a few of them himself. He figured these were far more personal to be auctioning off, but he wanted to keep them anyway, and placed them next to the first box.

The third box on the shelf was significantly heavier than the first two. He slipped it off slowly, grunting with each step until he’d let the heavy cardboard hit the mattress. He’d lifted the lid. This one was not filled with photos, but instead, a camera, lights and a tripod. The camera wouldn’t turn on. He fumbled with a few buttons, but the machine was inoperable. For some reason, this frustrated Jumin to no end. He pressed and pressed at the On button until he’d had some strange rage wash over him. He gripped the camera tightly and chucked it at the sliding glass door overlooking the sea.

Jumin felt himself switch to auto-pilot as he walked out of the hole in the door he’d created and towards the cliff. He wasn’t sure what he was doing, but he wasn’t able to stop himself. He’d gotten a few yards away from the house when Zen tackled him to the ground, his crimson eyes widening in fear. Jumin was on his back on the grass, Zen on top of him, holding him down. Jumin looked up at the white-haired man, the sound of heavy wheezing the only thing he could hear. He felt Zen pull him into an embrace, unable to move away.

“Just relax, Jumin,” his voice was so gentle. Zen had never spoken to Jumin in that tone. 

“Please take deep breaths and try to remain calm.” Jumin couldn’t understand why Zen had told him to remain calm. He felt very calm. He began to cough wildly, only to realize that the wheezing sound was coming from him. Zen pulled Jumin away slightly, looking the older man in the eyes.

“Why were you walking to the cliff?” Zen asked, trying to mask the cocktail of rage and fear in his voice.  _ Was that what I was doing?  _ Jumin thought. He felt like he was watching all of this unfold through someone else’s eyes.

“I want to die,” he heard himself say.  _ That’s strange. I don’t feel that way at all…  _ “I want to fall off that cliff and die.”

Zen blinked and inhaled hard before tightening his grip on Jumin. 

“You're going to be alright, Jumin… You’re just upset right now…”

_ But I’m not upset, _ he thought.

“But I want to die.” He heard himself say again.  _ What in the world is happening... _

“You aren’t going to die,” he heard Zen say with shaky breaths, the arms around him tightening. “There’s no way I’m gonna let you.”  

“But I let  _ him _ die.” Jumin heard his shaking voice say again. This time, he agreed with the voice. “V is dead because of me.”

“You know that isn’t true, Jumin…” Zen began to rub Jumin’s back in circles. 

There was a ringing sound in Jumin’s ears. The incessant buzz blocked out all other sound, causing Jumin to panic. 

“HE DIED BECAUSE OF ME!” He heard himself shouting over the ringing. “HE WOULD STILL BE ALIVE IF I GOT THERE SOONER!” Jumin’s back was pressed onto the ground again and Zen was on top of him, trying desperately to hold him in place. Zen’s lips were moving, but Jumin couldn’t hear anything except the ringing in his ears. It had transformed into a pounding headache as he became more aware of what was happening: he was on the ground, screaming, crying and unable to breathe. Zen was holding down Jumin’s arms, who was fighting desperately to push the younger man off. His clothes were a mess and his hands and lips were bleeding. He couldn’t remember how he’d gotten into this situation but he could only remember one thing.

“V IS DEAD AND IT’S ALL MY FAULT.” By this point, Jumin could see Zen struggling. He could feel himself trying to get Zen off of him, afraid of what his body would do if it were free right now. 

“Jumin!” He said, voice straining. “Please take a deep breath and calm down!”

For some reason, that time, Jumin was able to oblige. Or maybe his body had just exhausted itself. Jumin laid back, panting. Tears were streaming down his face, and he no longer made any effort to move. His eyes were fixated on the clouds behind Zen.

“Why did he leave like that…” He whispered.

Zen relaxed, catching his own breath, still staring at Jumin with a tender yet fearful expression.

“I know it hurts Jumin…” He whispered in response.

Jumin’s sobs increased in volume, but he still didn’t move, save from his body shuttering with each exhale. “He’s gone… I can’t forgive him for leaving me like this…” He felt Zen wrap gentle arms around him. He laid his head against the actor’s chest, aware of nothing but his own breathing. And then he drifted off.

\----

Jumin awoke in a cold sweat, unaware of his surroundings. Zen sat in a chair at the foot of the bed, reading a script by the lamp light. He put the script down and looked at Jumin, his face frozen in worry. 

“Jumin?” He called, softly. “You ok?”

Jumin stared blankly at the wall across from him, unable to answer Zen’s question. Or even move. He’d remembered he was in Zen’s bedroom. Zen had refused to leave him alone after what had happened at V’s house. 

“Jumin…” He called again, more softly. He placed the script on his chair and moved over to Jumin. Zen looked at him, waving a hand in front of Jumin’s face. When he gained no response, he sighed and sat back down. This was the third time Jumin had done that over the course of the night. Zen didn’t know what it was that made him unresponsive, but it scared him.

“Why don’t you try getting back to sleep?” he suggested, calmly. 

“I want to go home.” Jumin nearly spat. He still wasn’t sure why he was just speaking without thinking. And the things he was saying were completely illogical.

Zen looked at him, one eyebrow raised. “Go home?” he asked. “You can’t be alone right now, Jumin.” 

“Why do you care what I do? You hate me.” Jumin knew that wasn’t true. The man had been up all night making sure he didn’t hurt himself, for goodness sake. 

“You know that’s not true, Jumin.” Zen’s eyes were scanning his script again. “We don’t get along all of the time, but I don’t hate you.”

“You smell like nasty cigarettes.” Jumin said, blandly. Zen chuckled and looked at him in amusement.

“Yeah, I guess I do,” he said, with a playful smile.

“You aren't even that good looking.” Jumin tried again. He wasn’t sure why he wanted to hurt Zen’s feelings, but the actor certainly wasn’t phased. He laughed wholeheartedly and winked. 

“You know that certainly isn't true.”

Jumin narrowed his eyes. “You’re a shitty actor. Don’t even rehearse your script because it’s not going to help you.” Zen looked up at him and blinked. It was clear by his expression that the comment hurt him. Jumin wasn’t sure why he felt so much satisfaction at making the man upset.

“You’re entitled to your opinion,” He said, very clearly trying not to get upset. “But I think I’m a pretty good actor.”

“It’s not my opinion. You’re awful. That’s a fact.” Jumin had no reason to be saying those things, and he knew they weren’t true, but something in him made him want to upset the actor more.

Zen had caught on to it. “I see what you’re trying to do,” he said with a smirk. “You want to make me mad so I throw you out, right? Not gonna work, trust fund. You can’t be alone right now. I don’t want you hurting yourself.”

Zen had figured him out before he’d figured himself out. 

“I’ll hurt myself once I go home. It’s not like you’ll follow me forever.” The words were heavy on his lips. Zen looked him over cautiously.

“That really worries me that you would say that, Jumin. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“I want to hurt you.”

“No, you don’t ”

_ No I don't… _

“Yes, I do. I’ll hurt you and then myself.”

_ What am I even saying? _

“Jumin, if you worry me like that, I’m going to have to send you to a hospital that will keep an eye on you…” Zen didn’t seem to like saying those words. And Jumin didn't seem to like hearing them.

Jumin swallowed and laid back down on the bed. He heard whimpers again. It took him a few moments to realize he was crying.

“I just miss V. Why are you being so cruel? I just want to see him again…”

“I understand you miss him, but you’re not allowed to meet him that way. I’m sure he’ll be very upset if you hurt yourself.”

Jumin was silent for a few moments. Zen relaxed, thinking he’d finally gotten through to the man. He began to scan his script again, yawning occasionally. He’d almost dozed off when Jumin spoke again.

“I want to hurt Saeran.”

Zen’s head whipped around to look at the man who was staring at the ceiling. 

“What did you say?”

“I want to hurt Saeran. This is his fault.”

“Jumin, what are you saying?”

“He killed him, you know.”

“Jumin, you’re-”

“He killed V. But it’s a secret.”

“Jumin…”

“It’s true. Just ask Seven.”

Zen was silent for a few minutes. He tried to show no reaction to Jumin’s confession, but there was something in the man’s words that truly got him thinking. Though he was horribly out of it right now, something about the way he said it just…

Jumin grew impatient, and turned over on his side. Zen took a few moments to think about the situation: he didn’t really know anything about Saeran, and it didn’t make sense to any of them that V would kill himself. Zen knew there were mysteries surrounding V’s death and Saeran’s arrival but he never necessarily questioned them. He made up his mind to ask Jumin what he meant, but when he looked over again, Jumin had fallen asleep.

\----

“I can’t let you go home.” Zen said firmly, blocking the door to his apartment. 

“I told you, I’m fine. Whatever happened yesterday, I’ve already forgotten.”

“But I haven’t,” Zen crossed his arms. “You can’t be alone after everything you told me last night.”

Jumin sighed impatiently. “I told you, I was overcome with emotion. I feel much better now that I’ve slept it off. I apologize for worrying you. Now please, let me go home.”

Zen looked at him critically. “Do you really think that’s all it’s gonna take? I thought I was going to have to take you to the hospital and now you want me to believe you’re miraculously better?” His expression softened and he spoke gently. “I don’t want you hurting yourself.”

“I won’t. You have my word. And if my word isn’t enough, you can call me whenever you feel nervous.” Zen crossed his arms and, after a few more moments of convincing, let Jumin go home. On the condition that he speak in the chat at least twice a day so Zen knows he’s alright. He wasn’t happy with that arrangement, but Jumin had certainly seemed better. Ish. 

They all knew that wasn’t true, but at least he hadn’t hurt himself. 

\--------

“Who’s going to tell him…” came a voice, small and distant. Jumin's eyes fluttered open. He was back in the bunker, the others all having woken up. Yoosung stood in front of him, looking mortified. A few tiny gasps were heard around the room.

“I’m sorry…” he muttered, rubbing his eyes. “I must’ve dozed off…”

Seven turned away, slipping his headphones on. He was trying not to let Jumin see his face, but it was clear that he was scared shitless. Something was severely wrong. 

Jumin raised a brow and surveyed the room. Everyone was averting Jumin’s eyes. They all looked pale. 

“Did I miss something? Have you two found any information?” The twins both tensed and looked at each other, and then shamefully at the ground. The silence was starting to worry him. 

Jaehee stepped forward after a few moments of awkward coughing. She looked around the room before clearing her throat. 

“Mr. Han… I’m afraid we have terrible news..” she murmured. Jumin could feel his heartbeat pulsating through his chest. 

“You received a package today. The guards had to open it before they could send it down but…” she hesitated, licking her dry lips. She couldn’t look him in the eyes. 

“Assistant…” he whispered. “What’s-“

“It’s Elizabeth, Jumin.” The statement came from MC, who could barely contain her grief. “They got her.”

Jumin’s eyes widened as she pointed to a package in the far right corner. He walked towards it cautiously, everyone holding their breath. He peaked into the box. A small bundle of white fuzz sat inside, soaked in crimson.

“They found us.” Jumin barely whispered. And then everything went black. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is by far my fave chapter. And not just because it's number 7 ;)
> 
> So I wrote this chapter thinking I was just making things up but apparently something called depersonalization exists where stress momentarily causes you to lose control over your body. I don't have experience with it myself, and hope to God I never do, but it sounds really scary and intense ;,;
> 
> MY BEAUTIFUL ELLY QAQ
> 
> Fun fact: it was originally the Chairman's head in that box. But I was like... mmmmm TOO dramatic ;n; so i decided to sacrifice mypoor sweet elly instead QoQ 
> 
> I don't know why I enjoy torturing my husband so damn much I'm fucking awful ;;;
> 
> Also I may be starting a new story soon in honor of Ray's route coming out QuQ i do intend to finish this one up first though!


	8. Jumin is Not Mad at Saeran

 

When Jumin came to, he was on the bed, a cool washcloth being pressed against his head. MC stood over him, her eyes lighting up upon his awakening. 

“Jumin?” She chirped. “How are you feeling?”

Jumin opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. His body was frozen in place.  _ Shit…  _ he thought.  _ Not again... _

“He’s probably still in a daze, babe…” replied Seven for him. Seven looked genuinely concerned for him. He was thankful that the red head had put his own feelings to the side for Jumin’s well-being. He’d nearly forgotten why he was mad at Jumin in the first place. 

And then he remembered everything that had happened with the prime minister.

And then the package that sat in the corner.

A loud, guttural scream escaped Jumin’s lips. Seven gently pushed MC out of the way as he and Saeran fought to restrain him. They held his body down, having been told by Zen what happened when Jumin snapped. Jumin could feel himself thrashing and screaming, but he was simply observing again. 

“HE SHOULD HAVE JUST LET ME DIE!” He heard himself wail. “ZEN SHOULD HAVE LET ME DIE AND EVERYONE WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFE!”

Seven was frantically looking around the room, his lips moving fast. Jumin gathered he was giving the others some sort of instruction, as they began to scramble about, searching the bunker for something. Seven turned to his brother and said something before climbing off of the man, running towards Yoosung. Saeran wrapped his hand around Jumin’s wrists, which, Jumin had realized were around his own neck. Saeran pinned his arms above his head, shouting at the others, everything completely on mute to Jumin.

Jumin’s hearing returned in time to hear Saeran say “Did you put all of them away yet?!” Saeran looked over at Jumin in surprise and loosened his grip. Jumin’s body felt heavy, a slab of lead against the small mattress. Saeran climbed off of him and sat beside him on the bed. 

“I think he’s calmed down a bit…” He said, his voice cracking from panting. The others looked at Jumin in concern. He blinked slowly and scanned the room. A few of them were holding sharp objects in their hands, probably hiding them from him. He sighed deeply, his breathing sharp and staggered.  _ Maybe I should take this more seriously… _ He thought to himself as Seven returned to the bed. 

“Jumin-hyung?” He said, placing a gentle hand on the man’s chest. Jumin looked at him, through blurry eyes. Seven pulled a napkin from his pocket and patted them dry.  _ Tears again... _

“I’m gonna stop being angry and focus on a way to keep us all safe, alright? So don’t stress out too much. We can’t have you hurt yourself.”

Jumin half nodded with another slow blink. “Why would he take my Elizabeth 3rd...” he whispered. “She has nothing to do with this…” 

Saeran scowled. “He’s trying to scare us, Jumin. He can’t get to you, so he took her instead.”

“He knew exactly where to send that package…” Seven partially whispered to himself. “That means he definitely knows where we are.” Jumin looked over at Saeran, who was looking off to the side, miserably. He hadn’t put in his usual mint green contacts, so his eyes shone gold like his brother’s. And his father’s.

Jumin sat up, propping himself up on his elbows. Seven tensed, ready to push him back down, when he wrapped his arms around Saeran. “I’m sorry… This situation happened because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.” Saeran hesitated before wrapping his own arms around Jumin. 

“Shit happens, trust fund. We both have our own sins we need to clean up. But right now, you need to be okay so we can figure out how to fix all of this.” Jumin nodded against Saeran’s shoulder, this time aware that he was crying. He heard Seven sigh, and walk away from them. 

“I’m going to get back to work looking for anything I can. If he did that to Elizabeth, he must be trying to get our attention. All of you, please keep an eye on Jumin.” And with that, he slipped his headphones on and went back to work. Jumin winced at the mention of his dearly-departed princess, a few sharp inhales escaping his lips. His rock hard resolve to find Zen had beyond faltered now, and the only thing he had to hold him together were Saeran’s arms. 

“It’s gonna be ok, Jumin…” he whispered, occasionally. “We’re here with you.”

The others allowed Saeran to be the one to take care of Jumin after that point because Saeran, unfortunately, had the most experience. Saeran had tried to kill himself a few times in the past, and had his own personal issues with depersonalization and dissociation. He would occasionally tell Jumin to observe a color or a shape, trying to keep him grounded in reality, all while keeping his arms around the man for support. It was helping Jumin tremendously. 

The others tried their best to help anyway they could, be it cooking, cleaning or just chatting to keep it from going too silent. The bunker had finally began to warm up from all of the movement. Jumin had finally seemed semi-normal, and allowed to Saeran to get back to work. He obliged, sitting behind his laptop yet again, occasionally peaking at Jumin from the corner of his eye. The twins began to type, almost in sync. Yoosung sat beside Jumin, going on about his online escapades in LOLOL. Though not his topic of choice, Jumin was thankful for the distraction, and indulged the boy’s chattering. Jaehee joined in, voicing her displeasure for the game. Yoosung simply began to rave louder in response. For the first time in days, Jumin laughed. The temperature of the room seemed to increase as everyone exhaled a simultaneous sigh of relief.

“I still have no idea how your laptop is working down here, Saeyoung-Hyung~” Yoosung teased. Seven looked up with a smile.

“That’s because it’s powered with the magic of honey butter chips and the strength of God Seven~!” He answered, quickly.

“I don’t think that’s it.” Giggled MC, everyone sharing a laugh with her. Everyone except Saeran. His face was frozen in fear, staring at his computer screen. Seven caught eyes with him immediately. 

“Saeran? Did you find something?” Seven turned the laptop to face himself, mouth widening as his eyes swept over the screen. Yoosung walked over in curiosity, reading over Seven’s shoulder.

“Breaking News… Saeran… Choi… wanted for the deaths of Jihyun Kim, Mikyung Choi and involvement in a criminal organization…?”

“He knows…” was all that escaped Saeran’s lips.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I didn't realize how short this chapter was as I was writing it ;; I guess the chat really does take up the most space ;~;  
> still i hope this story is enjoyable to someone QuQ
> 
> I totally believe Saeran would be the one that knows the most about this stuff because, unfortunately, he went through it hard core. So he'd prob be the most patient with Jumin in spite of everything happening :o


	9. Yoosung is Mad at Everyone

Yoosung scanned the article over, pushing a frozen Seven aside. He began to laugh nervously. “This is all BS… they probably made it all up to scare you, Hyung.” His voice was breaking, but a piece of him knew what was coming.

Saeran shook his head. “I’m not that person anymore. I swear…” His hands were shaking and his eyes welled up. “How the hell did he find all of that…”

Seven woke from his trance and crawled over to his brother, trying desperately to calm him down. “Shh Shhh… its alright... “ He whispered. “He’s a liar.”

“He’s not a liar…” Saeran’s voice was breaking.

“He’s a liar.” Seven emphasized the word, afraid of what was about to happen.

“He’s not the liar! I am! And he figured it out! He’s always been one damn step ahead and now he’s really out to get me!” Saeran was screaming now. Seven grabbed his shoulders trying to shake him.

“Saeran, it’s ok! No one is going to hurt you!”

“They found the truth, Hyung! It’s over! They’ll take me in and you with me!”

“We’re not going anywhere!” Shouted Saeyoung, his eyes wide and crazy. By this point, Yoosung had stood and took a few steps back, observing the twins arguing with fear plastered on his face.

“Hyung… this article is obviously a fake… isn’t it?”

Seven wouldn’t look him in the eyes.

“Saeyoung-Hyung…” Yoosung’s voice was firm, but his volume fluctuated out of fear. “Why would they blame him for V-hyung’s death…? V-hyung killed himself, right?” Seven scanned the room with a sharp swallow. Everyone in the room, save for Yoosung, already knew the truth. So when Saeran began to scream again, he made no effort to stop him.

“V didn’t kill himself!” Saeran shrieked. His mouth moved but no sound escaped.

“I did.” Seven whispered. Everyone looked at Seven in surprise. “I was mad about what happened with Saeran and Mint Eye and couldn’t contain myself and… I shot him. Jumin, MC, everyone has been covering for me all this time.”

“No.” Everyone turned back to Saeran. “It was me. Saeyoung, you don’t need to lie.” He exhaled, sadly. He’d gotten control of his emotions back and now looked as tired as Jumin.

“It was all happening so fast and I thought he betrayed us and he was going to hurt the Sav- ...Rika… And before I knew what was happening, he was on the floor bleeding to death and Rika was screaming. By the time Jumin got there… he was dead.” Saeran didn’t look up, knowing he would meet Yoosung’s distraught expression. Yoosung plopped down on the ground next to Seven, his shaking legs giving out on him.

“I just wanted to throw a damn party…” he whispered, his eyes fixated on his shoes. Tears were streaming down his pale cheeks as he rolled himself into a small ball and cried. Seven rubbed his back softly, not sure of anything to say. Jaehee’s voice broke the silence.

“Emotions are a dangerous thing.” She began. “They cause you to do illogical things you wouldn’t normally do.”

“I wanted so desperately to make mine disappear...” Jumin’s voice was barely a whisper, yet everyone still turned to listen intently. “...but now I see that trying to hide the truth only made my emotions more and more unstable until I finally snapped.”

“Didn’t we all stop hiding secrets because of what happened with V-Hyung?!” Yoosung shouted, violent sobs lacing his words. “Didn’t you all learn your damn lesson?! Secrets breed secrets and ruin relationships! If something bothers you, just say it instead of pretending it’s fine! Because now we’re facing losing another member of our family because everyone wanted to be secretive! If anything happens to Zen-Hyung…” Yoosung wiped his eyes with a loud sniffle. “... then I’m quitting the RFA for good!”

“Yoosung is right…” MC said calmly. “The problems started with secrets and instead of learning from them, we just created more secrets.”

“Of course I’m shocked…” Yoosung sniffled. “Of course it scares the shit out of me that Saeran-Hyung might have killed someone.” Saeran winced, Seven wrapping an arm around him. “But were you all expecting this to just disappear? That if you pretended it didn’t happen, then after enough time, it can just go away? V-Hyung is gone, Rika-Noona’s been sent away and now Zen-Hyung is in danger… What’s it gonna take for things to change around here!?” Everyone was silent for a few moments. Then, Jumin spoke again.

“What was that other name after V?”

“Mikyung Choi. Our… Mother…” Seven said, resentment in his voice.

“Ah…” was all Jumin could muster. He’d heard the stories of Saeyoung and Saeran and their abusive mother from Rika and V. He nodded, not acceptance of the fact that he resorted to murder but almost… understanding.

“You killed your mother, too?” Yoosung's nose flared, thinking of his own mother.

“It’s more complicated then you’re thinking, Yoosung.” Jumin’s flat calm voice reverberated off of the walls again and for that, everyone was thankful. “I’m not going to say it was justified, but she was less of a mother then you’re thinking.”

Yoosung shook his head and exhaled sharply out of his nose. “I don’t know what to think anymore, Jumin.” Everyone blinked. Yoosung excluded an honorific. “I just wanted to join an organization and help people. But the more I learn about the RFA, the more pain I see it’s caused.”

Everyone shifted their eyes. Yoosung was not wrong. The RFA was a charity organization that Rika had started to help people. Yet because of it, V was dead, a cult was established, hundreds of people were brainwashed, Rika got shipped off to Alaska and Zen was probably in someone basement getting tortured...

“And we will again…” Said Seven, lifting his laptop screen. “We’re gonna bury all of this bullshit, and go back to helping people. No more secrets, no more drama…” he swallowed hard. “No more losing family.” He began to type quickly, no doubt chasing the dead line of Zen’s phone again.

Yoosung stood by the entrance of the bunker, his face turned from everyone. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

The air was thick as everyone silently prayed for a miracle. Saeran passed his laptop to Jumin, who read over the article out loud. Everyone listened carefully as he recited each offense.

“And that’s everything…” he concluded. “Now there are no more secrets.” Yoosung hid his relief with a scowl, face still turned towards the wall. MC sat beside him, arm around his shoulder.

“We’ll find him, Yoosung. Saeyoung won’t rest until he’s safe home with us.” Her bright eyes peered into Yoosung’s and his defenses dropped.

“I know…” He whispered, his shoulders drooping. She rubbed his back and he flashed her a weak smile. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts as Seven’s desperate typing became more erratic.

“Did you find something, Hyung?” Said Saeran, gently.

Seven tensed and looked at him for a brief second. His eyes were twisted in worry.

“My computer is unresponsive…”

“Why not try rebooting it?” Offered Jaehee. Seven simply shook his head and continued to click wildly.

“It isn’t that simple…” His voice was hoarse.

“Hyung… it isn’t…” Saeran began.

“I think,” Seven swallowed hard. “I’ve been hacked.” MC stood to sit next to her fiance, staring at the blank screen.

“It’s just a black square. Is it really that dangerous?” As if to challenge her words, a play button appeared on the screen. The others gathered around in fear and curiosity.

“I feel like it’s a trap…” Came Jaehee’s voice. “Don’t play it.”

Seven sighed as his mouse hovered over the play button. “I don’t-”

“What if it’s information about Zen-Hyung!?” Yoosung was nearly bouncing in his spot. “Don’t ignore it!”

Seven scanned the mixed reactions around him.

“Fuck it.”

He pressed play.          

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Realistically, everyone knows the truth save for Zen and Yoosung, so idk why keep it from them. Considering all of the issues in MM started because people kept keeping secrets, you'd think they'd learn to stop doing it .-. it's one of the major things that ticked me off about Seven's ending/secret endings.
> 
> Also, a point I would like to make here: I do not in anyway EVER justify murder. I don't like V, and in fact I can go as far as to say I hate him. But I still do not believe he deserved to die. The twin's mom was an abusive evil bitch, but I still don't think she deserved to die. I don't believe there's ever justification for murder. Because 1. you become the monster as the murderer and 2. someone like Mrs. Choi should suffer for what she did, not just die. V should have been able to atone. Murder is just the end of the story and there's no satisfaction in someone getting away scott free. Not to mention the issue of murder and morality .-. So to be honest, I hated that Seven deleted Saeran's file and he got away with everything. Obviously I know why it was done, but it really makes me angery .----.
> 
> Hopefully 3 more chapters will be coming your way next week :3 The story should be wrapping up soon hopefully~


	10. Jumin is Mad at a Stranger

Seven pressed play on the screen.

He immediately wished he hadn't.

A blood curdling scream resonated in the small, stone room. Everyone winced, visibly tensing as they pressed themselves closer to the laptop. The screen was still only a black square, but the sounds were enough to paint a thousand images.

A shrill female voice began to laugh hysterically, cutting into the screams that were fading into pained moans. 

“...Zen…?” Whispered MC.

“Babe…?” The voice whispered back. It was rough and hoarse from screaming, but it was Zen’s.

“ZEN!” Everyone began to shout, asking where he was, if he were ok, what was happening.

“Aww! You have friends that really like you, Zen! Isn’t that nice?” Giggled the female voice. The sound of pierced flesh broke her laughter, and Zen shrieked again.

“I demand you stop that at once!” Jumin’s voice bellowed deep, echoing into the speakers.

“Mmmm, what if I say no, Mr. Han?” Another pierce. Another scream.

“What the hell are you doing to him?!”

“Whatever I want!” She chirped. “Those were the orders I was given. So long as he stays alive.”

“Let him go.” His voice was firm, but it still faltered.

“Or?”

“Please. What do you want in exchange?”

“Do you think you can just buy me off, Mr. Han?” She laughed, the sound harsh. Yoosung’s whimpers had gotten to a deafening volume as MC tried to console him.

“I’ll do whatever it is that you want.”

“I was told that no matter what you offer, my client will offer double. So, nah.” She sang.

“ Did Minister Choi arrange this?”

“Isn’t it such a sad world where politicians are so crooked? Good thing his money is straight!”

“What does he want?”

“Duh. He wants his brats. Dead preferably.”

Jumin inhaled. He could hear the twins tense behind him.

“There’s no way that will happen.”

The screen sprung to life and a beautiful woman with black hair smiled deviously into the camera. She was holding a knife, coated in blood. The room was dark, with only a single light bulb hanging from the center. Zen sat directly under the light, tied up to a metal chair, blindfolded and covered in blood. The room was similar to the one they were in; dark, cold and likely underground. She tilted the camera towards him and sauntered over painstakingly slow. 

“Zen-Oppa! Say hello to your friends~” 

Zen swallowed. “Don’t come for me!” He shouted, his voice pained. “He’s gonna kill them! Just leave me heeee-aAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Zen was cut off by the woman digging the knife into his arm, twisting it 180 degrees. He wailed loudly, his body thrashing against the seat.

“I said say  _ hello _ .  _ Only _ .” She said firmly.

“Please that’s enough!” Cried Seven. “I’ll go talk to the prime minister myself. Just… no more…” He was sobbing violently, snot and tears streaming down his mortified face. “Please don’t hurt him…”

The girl looked at the camera with fake sympathy. “Awwww, how sweet.” she mused. “Isn’t that sweet, Zenny~?”

Zen moaned quietly in agreement, his body quivering.

“I said…” Her eyes narrowed into sharp slits. “Isn’t… that… SWEET?” She thrust the knife into his side, all of the weight of her tiny body on the knife.

“AAGGHH YES YES ITS SO SWEET GAGHH” He wailed. She removed the knife and he doubled over, shaking more violently.

“You’ve made your point.” Whispered Jumin. “That’s enough.”

“So you’ll surrender the twins?” She twirled the knife around like a baton. 

“We need time to discuss this.” He pursed his lips, crossing his arms to stop himself from trembling. A low whimper escaped from Saeran. 

The woman’s mouth twisted into a coy grin.

“I trust you’ll make the right decision, Mr. Han. Zen’s life is on the line.”

Jumin looked away, words caught in his throat.

“Don’t… do anything… stupid… trust fund…” Zen wheezed. The girl rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm. He moaned in pain. 

“Don’t fuck it up, Jumin Han.” She sung. And then the monitor shut off. 

Seven wiped his eyes and shook his head.  “I’m going to save Zen.”

“Saeyoung, don’t even think about going alone! They’ll kill you!” MC grabbed his arms, digging her fingers into his jacket sleeves. 

“I’ve gotten out of bad situations before. I can just sneak in, grab Zen and go!” He plopped back in front of his laptop. 

“I’m gonna trace the source of the video and see if I can find that location. Then I’ll analyze the building and try to find a route.”

“Saeyoung, no! It’s way too dangerous! If anyone catches you, you’re dead!”

“I have to try, babe! You saw what happened to Zen! This isn’t even his problem and he’s getting the shit beat out of him!” His nose flared in rage and his breathing hitched. His eyes narrowed and he slipped on his headphones. “Everyone leave me alone. I need to work.”

“Jumin…” MC looked at him in desperation. “Please…”

Jumin looked her in the eyes. She was on the brink of tears. “I’ll keep them safe,” he said. 

How… he had yet to figure out. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another very short chapter!
> 
> Also, I apologize to the 2 and a half of you reading this, I'm a day late. I've been busy babysitting and stuff and have barely had time to myself at all hahaha...
> 
> Anyway
> 
> I AM NOT OK
> 
> I'm so sorry about this Zenny QoQ I don't want to hurt you Q~Q
> 
> This is one of the more dramatic, sadder things I've written and it was really uncomfortable tbh. I'm sorry if it feels that way with reading too...
> 
> Minister Choi is a fucking dickbag tbh


	11. Jumin Was Mad at Saeran

Everything had happened so fast: Rika committed suicide, leaving no physical evidence behind. V’s involvement in the RFA became more and more scarce. A girl was thrust into their private messenger by a formidable hacker. The girl stole the heart of Seven, the RFA’s resident hacker and helped him to escape his cycle of misery. A cult by the name of Mint Eye became Seven’s main lead on the whereabouts of his long lost brother, and he and MC decided to brave the odds and find out the truth that V refused to tell them.

The black van pulled up in front of a giant building in the middle of scenic nowhere, hundreds of miles from the city. Security guards bombarded the door, waiting for their leader’s command. On his signal, they flooded the building and began to detain anyone who they deemed a threat. After a moment, the head of security escorted Jumin inside. He surveyed the area and blinked in disbelief. He was sure the scene before him was a dream. 

Over two dozen people, all dressed in robes and looking hypnotized, tried desperately to fend off the intruders. Seven was unconscious on the ground, MC and a stranger with brown hair beside him. A man with white hair who bore a striking resemblance to Seven stood in front, hands shaking. In his hands was a gun. His face was pale and he shook violently in his spot.

Jumin’s eyes continued to wander the room. Over a sea of zombie-esque followers and his security team, a familiar face sat in the center of the room. Her blonde hair, like the sun she’d always celebrated, twinkled under the fluorescent light. Her face was twisted in agony, pale and cold. And with his eyes wandering down into her shaking arms, Jumin could understand why. 

“...no…” he barely breathed. He sprinted over to the girl, who did nothing but gape at the man in her arms. 

“Rika?” He whispered in disbelief. The blank expression on her face proved unresponsive. He looked at her, then down at the man in her arms. He pulled him away from the blonde and began to shake him. 

“V…? V…! Jihyun!” His volume increased with every call of his friend’s name. But the man was already dead. Jumin called and shook to no avail, V’s blood smearing onto his own hands. He held his friend close for a moment, shaking in agony with wide eyes before turning back to the frozen blonde beside him. He glared at her, taking her pale arm roughly by the wrist. 

“Rika, what in the name of God is going on? Why is V… why are you…” His words caught in his throat. But it was clear by her expression that Rika was overcome with shock herself. She was completely blank, looking almost as lifeless as V. 

Jumin’s gaze slowly turned. The boy with the white hair jumped at the eye contact, pointing his gun at Jumin. 

“D… don’t… come any closer!” He spat, stuttering wildly. Jumin’s grey eyes burned intensely as he stood. 

“You did this.”

“I’m warning you!” The boy spat. “I’ll shoot, god dammit! I’ll shoot!” His fingers were tightly wrapped around the trigger, arms shaking. It was pointed at Jumin's head. Jumin was not phased as he made a beeline for the white haired male. He was about to pull the trigger when Jumin slapped the gun from his hand. He wrapped his hands around the boy’s throat, pressing him against the wall. 

“You… did… this…” he tightened his grasp around the boy’s neck, lifting him slightly off of the ground. The boy kicked his legs, gurgling sounds escaping his throat. “You’re a dirty murderer.”

“Jumin! No!” Came a light voice. MC slid in front of Jumin, unwrapping his hands from the boy with all of her might. Jumin glared daggers at the girl and took a step back to analyze her. 

“Jumin, please!” she began gently, arms extended to shield the man behind her. “This is Seven’s… Saeyoung’s brother! Don’t hurt him! He’s not well right now!“

“V is dead. And he’s the one holding the gun.”

“I understand that but-“

“Do you want me to turn a blind eye and pretend that he didn’t just murder my best friend because he’s ‘not well’?” Jumin voice boomed like thunder. MC stood her ground, desperately trying not to look intimidated. 

“Jumin, please! We need to get him help! We have to save him! Saeyoung almost died trying to get him back!”

“V is in a puddle of his own damn blood five feet from where you’re standing! Does that not mean anything to you?!” Jumin snapped. His jaw was clenched and he looked like he was going to rip someone’s head off. Saeran quivered behind MC, whimpering loudly. 

“K… keep him away from me!” He screamed over and over. 

“Get out of the way, MC. This does not concern you.” Jumin tried to push the girl away but she stood her ground, tears in her eyes. 

“Please don’t hurt him, Jumin!” She whimpered. “Don’t fall into the trap! I know it hurts but an eye for an eye won’t solve anything!”

“MOVE!” He almost spat the word at her, grabbing her arms and pushing her out of the way. She fell to the ground with a thud and looked up at the man in fear. At this point, Saeran had fallen to the ground as well, quaking in fear from the firey gaze piercing him. He tried to scurry away, squeezing shut his mint green eyes as Jumin towered over him. He threw his arms up to shield his face as Jumin closed the distance between himself and the boy. The brown haired stranger quickly slipped in front of Jumin, stopping him from getting to Saeran. 

“Look, I have no idea what’s going on. All I know is that 707 really cares about this guy, so I can’t let you hurt him. Sorry about your friend.” 

Jumin didn’t like that answer. 

He reached up to choke the agent when he was knocked to the ground by an electrical surge running through his body. 

“Vanderwood!” Shrieked MC, jumping from her spot. “That wasn’t necessary!”

The ‘Vanderwood’ person simply shrugged. “He would’ve hurt me first. Just gotta protect myself.” MC rushed over to Jumin, trying to help him to his feet. He swatted her hand away and stood on his own. 

“Jumin…” she said quietly. 

“Direct your concerns to Assistant Kang.” He said coldly and turned to leave the room, taking one last look at his beloved best friends. He bit his lip, and hurried out of the door, refusing to look the girl in the face. 

MC blinked and scanned the area. Jaehee was a few feet from them, and looked on with sympathy. 

“Jaehee?”

“MC… I’m sorry this was how we had to meet.”

“Is Jumin going to be alright?” Her small voice was cracking as she stared at the entrance after him.

“I’m… not sure… this is a giant shock to me… I can’t imagine what Mr. Han must be feeling…” Jaehee looked off to the side, her eyes sadly sweeping over the room. She closed her eyes, exhaled and turned back to MC. 

“MC, I need you to brief me on what’s going on here.”

MC nodded with a loud swallow. “I’ll start from the beginning…”

\---

It was nearly 4am on the sixth day in the bunker when Seven let out a loud, exasperated moan.

Jumin, who was on the brink of dozing off, blinked to life, eyes darting to the red head behind the screen. His face was in his hands; his body was shaking. Everyone was obliviously lost in deep sleep, only Seven and Jumin awake in the dead of night. Jumin stood and cautiously made his way over.

“Saeyoung… Is everything-”

“I got it.”

Jumin blinked in confusion.

“Got it?”

Seven looked up at him. It was not an expression of desperation, but of exhaustion. And… hope.

“I found where they’re holding Zen.” He laughed, tears lacing his eyes. “I’m gonna save him, Jumin!” Jumin’s eyes widened in response, staring at Seven’s screen. A string of coordinates were highlighted on the dark screen. He read them over as Seven half-cried, half-laughed victoriously. He pulled a notebook from his laptop bag and began drawing a crude map. 

“I’m gonna draw out my escape route! The place is riddled with security cameras so I’ll have to observe the patterns before I make my move!” He drew a box in the center.

“What’s that?” Jumin pointed at the misshapen box.

“It’s the entrance to the place on North Street.”

Jumin narrowed his eyes. “Downtown North Street?”

Seven shrugged tiredly. “Uh I guess. I don’t usually go to the area.”

“And you won’t.”

Seven eyed the older man cautiously. “What?”

“You aren’t going over there.”

“Yeah I am. That’s the only way we’ll get Zen back.”

“Absolutely not.”

“I already told you to leave this to me, Jumin. I’ll do whatever it takes to get Zen back safe and sound.” Seven turned back to his doodle, with Jumin watching closely.

“I understand,” he finally said. “And I would like to apologize.” Seven smirked. 

“Don’t worry about apologies. Apologize when the problem is solved.”

Jumin sighed. “I didn’t mean for this situation.” Jumin stood behind Seven, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I meant for this.” Jumin’s arms flew up around Seven’s neck, constricting his air flow. Seven gasped for air, thrashing in the man’s arms before his vision began to blur. 

“Make sure you take good care of the others in my absence,” he said. He didn’t expect any response. 

Because by that point, Seven was already unconscious.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somewhat longer!
> 
> Also I apologize for typos, I haven't had the time to review the grammar and stuff >> its been like two weeks since I've even looked at the story so thankfully i had chapters written out in advance!
> 
> Also, I changed the number to 12 chapters because I have over 12 written now :3 it might be around 15 like i initially thought or maybe even a bit longer!
> 
> Also Jumin would prob not know how to do a sleeper hold. Or maybe he would. He's a mysterious dude tbh
> 
> Also I dont think theres a downtown north street
> 
> Considering the addresses Cheritz made up tho, this is actually legit sounding lmaoooo
> 
> According to the wiki, Zen's address is: B1 431 Mysterious Tabcco St. in Jingerbread City, SEL 04047.
> 
> I too am from Jingerbread City. With a J. Best.


	12. Everyone is mad at Jumin (again)

“Babe? Can you hear me?” Seven’s eyes fluttered open as his fiance stood over him, face adorned with worry.

“Are you my guardian angel~?” He cooed. MC rolled her eyes with a smile and turned to the others. “He’s awake.”

“Hyung, what happened?” Yoosung knelt beside him, studying his face. “Where’s Jumin-Hyung?”

Seven sat up slowly with Yoosung’s aid. His eyes swept the room. He caught sight of his notebook and crawled towards it. A page was ripped from it, almost undetectably neat. “That dumbass…” He exhaled roughly, rubbing his eyes with his fingers. 

Everyone stared at the red head with baited breath as he stood, shaking his head. “He knocked me out and stole the coordinates… and my map…” 

“You don’t think Mr. Han is planning to solve this alone, do you?” Jaehee gasped.

Seven lightly punched a wall and ran his hand through his shaggy hair. “Goddammit Jumin…

“Can’t we just follow him?! You know the address, right?! We can go over there and-”

“It’s not that easy, Yoosung. I’ve never been there and I don’t know the area. I have to watch the cameras to find a safe route... “

“He’s just gonna waltz in there like a damn superhero and get himself killed...” Saeran murmured to no one in particular. Seven nodded with a rough sigh.

“Where is this place located?” Jaehee finally asked, swallowing hard.

“I think Jumin said… downtown north street? I don’t know where that is, but he was super against-” Seven was cut off by Jaehee’s sharp inhale.

“What?”

“That’s… north street… If I’m not mistaken, the Prime Minister’s house is located on Downtown North Street…”

Seven’s eyes widened in fear. “That crazy sonuvabitch literally has Zen in his damn basement?!” Seven collapsed onto the bed, covering his eyes. “Shit… this is not good... “

MC placed a hand on his, sitting beside him.

“We need to stay together and stay safe. And pray Jumin will be ok…”

“That idiot is gonna get himself killed…” Saeran mumbled, looking at the ground with wide eyes. Seven shook his head and sat up. 

“Babe, can you pass me my laptop? I’ll just pull up the coordinates and make a new map.” MC hopped off of the bed and retrieved Seven’s laptop, handing him the small machine. He took it and began to tap at the buttons.

“Is it dead?” Asked MC, brows furrowed.

“It shouldn’t be.” Seven began to inspect the laptop, flipping it over in his hands. His eyes went wide. 

“He took out the battery?!”

“He really doesn’t want us to follow him…” Yoosung’s eyes were welling up again. “Hyung… please stay safe…” Seven put his hands together and began to mutter a silent prayer.

“Mine is gone, too.” Saeran whispered, his own overturned laptop in his hands. Seven crossed himself and sat back in defeat.

“We just have to have faith that he’ll be ok... “ Seven toyed with the cross on his neck as everyone solemnly said a silent prayer for Jumin.

A squeak resonated throughout the small room. Seven jumped up, shielding MC with his body. Everyone tensed, their gaze turning towards the entrance. Slowly but surely, a man in a black suit descended down the ladder. He turned to face the group, nodding in greeting. 

“Hello, my name is Lee. I am the head of security of Jumin Han. I was told to escort you all to his private penthouse.”

Jaehee stepped forward, looking at the man with wide eyes. “Mr. Lee… does that mean Mr. Han is safe?”

Mr. Lee simply blinked at her blandly. “I have yet to hear any updates on Mr. Han’s whereabouts. He demanded to go on his own. I have, however, received orders from him to return you all to his penthouse. We have increased security and you will be far more comfortable there.”

“Can we trust him?” Yoosung mumbled.

“It’s either that or we sit in this box until we die.” Saeran stepped forward and followed the man up the ladder.

“I do miss fresh air…” MC began to ascend after him. Seven and Yoosung exchanged glances as Jaehee walked towards the man. 

“Thank you for your hard work.” The man simply nodded. Jaehee turned to face Yoosung and Seven. “I know him well. He works under Mr. Han.” She smiled sadly. “You can trust him.” The two tensed before making their way out of the bunker after Jaehee.

The sun was painfully bright as it assaulted their eyes for the first time in nearly a week. Everyone squinted against the rays, a giant armored van roaring to life behind them. Mr. Lee appeared behind them and opened the door of the van. 

“I apologize for such uncomfortable accomodations,” he said. “But Mr. Han stressed to us that our main priority was safety.” Everyone nodded happily, glad to be out of that bunker and in fresh air. The landscape was wild and untamed. The isolation provided an extra layer of security for the bunker. Jumin left nothing to chance. 

The RFA began to board the van, squeezing uncomfortably into the carriage. After the last of them boarded, the man climbed in, sealing the doors shut. He whispered into his sleeve, and the van began to drive away.

\---

By the time they had returned to Seoul, the sun was setting. City lights and the sounds of traffic poured into the van upon the opening of the doors. A row of armored security guards cut a path from the van to Jumin’s building, providing protection every millimeter of the way. They made their way into the building, taking the elevator up to the penthouse. Another guard unlocked Jumin’s door and ushered them inside quickly. The group filed in, surprised to find another guest already inside.

“No way…” Yoosung’s weak voice broke the silence. “...Zen...Hyung?”

Zen looked up slowly from the couch, looking like a beautiful corpse. His eyes were dull, hair a mess and his skin pale. He looked like he was in unimaginable amounts of pain, but he gazed up at the group with a tired smile.

“Hey guys…”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changing the number of chapters to ??? because I don't want it to mark this as complete or whatever
> 
> idk if that happens
> 
> Hopefully ill be more put together next week >~< sorry ;;


	13. Zen Was Never Mad At Jumin

“Zen!” Cried MC, running over to the man, ready to throw her arms around him. His eyes went wide and his body tensed, bracing for impact. Seven grabbed her arm and caught her just before she pounced on the actor.

“Babe! Be careful with him!” Seven shouted, pulling her back towards himself. MC dropped her hands, sheepishly, her eyes looking down at her shoes

“Sorry… Are you alright, Zen?” She eyed him cautiously. Zen sighed with relief, the sound strained and tired. 

“Yeah…” He breathed. “You guys ok?”

“We’re more worried about you, Hyung!” Yoosung stepped forward, sitting beside Zen very gently. “We saw what that awful woman-”

“Please…” Zen cut Yoosung off, his breathy voice firm and emotional. “...don’t talk about her. I don’t want to remember…” Yoosung looked at him in shock but nodded. Seven inhaled through his nose.

“Zen… do you have any idea where Jumin is?” His golden eyes were scrunched up in fear. Zen met his gaze with his own crimson ones. He let out a huge sigh and let his face fall into his palms. 

“Stupid… trust fund… idiot… I told him not to do anything stupid…” His teeth were clenched and there was a tinge of rage in his voice.

“Where is he, Zen? And what happened with you?” Jaehee stood behind the couch. Zen’s face sunk deeper into his hands.

“... can’t… say…”

“Zen, you’re safe now. Everything is going to be ok.” MC rubbed his back gently.

“Don’t!” Zen shuddered under her touch and straightened his back. MC removed her hand immediately. 

“Zen?”

“I’m sorry…” he breathed, his voice shaking. “Please don’t touch me.” He placed his head in his hands and took a few very deep, very shaky breaths.

“Everyone sit down. You’re overwhelming him.” Saeran’s voice was firm and calm. Everyone obliged. Zen looked up at everyone sitting around him. His face relaxed a bit.

“I’m sorry, I’m just… jumpy…”

“Take your time, Zen. You’re in a safe place.” Zen nodded at Saeran’s words, leaning into the couch slowly with a wince. Zen took a few deep breaths.

“Are you hungry?” Saeran asked. Zen blinked at him.

“I can make you something. What are you in the mood for?” Everyone stared at him dumbfounded.

“Saeran… Is this really the time-?” Jaehee began.

“Shut up. Zen, what do you want to eat?” Saeran’s face was blank, eyes focused on Zen. Zen’s eyes traveled to Jumin’s kitchen, staring blankly at the fridge.

“I don’t know.” Zen answered quietly.

“Do you want to look in the fridge? Maybe we can find something to cook together.” Zen looked at Saeran and nodded, timidly. Saeran stood and walked into the kitchen. Zen stood and slowly sauntered after him, wincing occasionally. 

Yoosung jumped out of his seat. “Hey, Zen-Hyung shouldn’t be moving if-”

“Shut UP.” Was Saeran’s response as he led Zen into the kitchen. Yoosung stopped in his tracks, completely awed.

“What the hell is-” He began, but was caught off guard when Seven placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“Leave it to Saeran. He knows what he’s doing.”

Yoosung furrowed his brows impatiently. “Sounds like he’s changing the subject…”

“Exactly.”

Yoosung glared at Seven’s unreadable expression as he made his way towards the hall.

“I’m gonna go see if I can find a computer in here. Everyone, follow Saeran’s example please.” And with that he disappeared.

“I see…” mused Jaehee. “I suppose we should distract ourselves as well…”

“But what about Jumin-Hyung?” Yoosung turned to face the woman, who slipped her glasses into her front pocket.

“Asking Zen that now will probably only aggravate him further. It seems he has very aggressive PTSD over whatever happened to him.” She made her way into the kitchen. Yoosung hummed in understanding and took a seat beside MC.

\------

After about two hours in the kitchen, Saeran appeared with a steaming pot of chicken curry. Zen had fallen asleep on the kitchen table, and so Saeran had brought the meal into the living room, red oven mitts gripping the handles of the pot.

“You guys are probably hungry, too. Eat something. Where’s my stupid brother?” 

MC smiled weakly. “He went off to find a computer once we got here. I guess he found one.” Saeran nodded at the girl’s words, placing the pot on the table and retrieving a few plates from the kitchen. 

“How’s Zen-hyung?” Whispered Yoosung.

“Asleep.” He said, removing the mitts. “I would prefer him on a bed or something, but I’d rather not disturb him.” Yoosung peaked into the kitchen. A sad, angelic face was fast asleep against the hard marble table top, the palenes of his skin practically molding into the white stone. He smiled, lightly wrapping his hoodie around Zen and tiptoeing out of the room. When he returned, Saeran thrust a plate of curry into his hands. 

“Eat,” he commanded. Yoosung met his rough gaze with a smile. 

“Thanks, Hyung! It smells great!” He took his seat beside MC again and began to dig into Saeran’s concoction. A few pleased “mmms” were heard around the room, eliciting a faint smile from Saeran. He coughed and rubbed his neck. 

“I should bring some to Saeyoung. Otherwise his stupid ass will forget to eat.” He filled a plate and went to searching for his brother. He poked his head into a few rooms, each empty. Finally, he found him, on the computer of a very elegant looking office. 

“Still working?” Saeran said, entering the room slowly. Seven looked up at his brother with tired eyes. He caught sight of the plate and his face warmed up immediately. 

“Did you… make me dinner?” He said, trying to hide the emotion in his voice.

“Don’t feel special. I made for everyone…” Saeran chided, rose dusting his cheeks. Saeyoung grinned ear to ear, regardless. 

“Thank you for serving me, my precious baby bro~”

“Don’t make me spit in it.”

“Ahh ok ok! Still… thank you.” Seven laughed. Saeran grunted, looking away, red faced. 

“Are you tracing trust fund’s phone now?” He finally asked. Seven’s smile faded as he turned his gaze back to the computer.

“No. I’m trying to analyze the patterns of the security camera but… it’s an algorithm I’ve never seen before. It may take a few days.” He sighed.

“A few days isn’t really a luxury we have…” Saeran stared out the window at the illuminated buildings against the night sky. He sat beside his brother and looked at the screen.

“Do you need help?” Seven smiled weakly and scooted over to let his brother see the screen. Saeran’s eyes traced the characters on the screen, brows furrowed. 

“I have no idea where to start…” Seven whined, slamming his face against the desk. Saeran pushed him over and began to scan the page. 

“Let me try something…” He muttered. “We can’t just give up yet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I haven't posted in a bit >> Been super busy. Idk if anyone has actually been keeping up, but I am rather late. I was babysitting for the last two weeks and am just now getting around to finishing the story. I think 15 will be the final chapter so hopefully ill have it all up soon :3 thanks for following me on my first fanfic adventure >u< I really appreciate it!


	14. Zen is Mad At His Dream

The light snore of his brother was all that kept him awake as Seven continued to type furiously into his keyboard. Saeran had fallen asleep about 3 hours ago, and Seven had continued to try and break the algorithm of the Prime Minister’s security system. He had yet to find himself with a single lead. He’d all but powered down the machine when a piercing scream shocked Saeran, and himself, alert. 

“The hell was that?!” Cried Saeran, jumping from his seat. Seven stood and the two rushed into the living room. Zen and Yoosung had slept in the living room and given the girls Jumin’s bedroom, but the two of them were very much awake now. Yoosung was trying to console Zen, who was clearly having some sort of anxiety attack. He was wheezing and crying, telling Yoosung to stay away from him. Yoosung was standing about a foot away, trying to calm Zen to no avail. Saeran sat beside the man, immediately wrapping him into his arms. 

“Yoosung? What’s going on?” Seven nearly shouted as the blonde took a few cautious steps backwards.

“I… I don’t know!” The young blonde sputtered in response. “He just started screaming and won’t stop hyperventilating!”

“Zen, talk to me, buddy... “ Saeran said, quietly, rubbing the man’s back. “What’s wrong?”

“They’re gonna hurt him….!” He cried between pants. “They’re gonna make sure they keep him quiet for good! They’ll hurt him!” His breathing grew more erratic.

“Deep breaths, Zen. It was just a dream... ” 

“No it wasn’t! My dreams aren’t just dreams! They’re gonna shut him up for good! They’re gonna shut him up!”

“Do you mean Jumin? What’s gonna happen? Who’s gonna shut him up?” Seven kneeled beside Zen. 

“Saeyoung, not now!” Saeran snapped, trying to push him away.

“Zen’s dreams are prophetic, Saeran. Maybe he can gives a lead!” Seven got closer to Zen’s face. “Who’s gonna shut him up, Zen?”

“They’re gonna make sure he never says anything about this so they’re gonna hurt him!”

“We won’t let them hurt him!” Seven placed a hand on Zen’s back. “I’ll work all night until I find him!”

“Your computer skills don’t mean shit right now!” Zen shrieked. Seven blinked in confusion.

“I’m just trying to find where he is so we can find a safe way too-”

“You’re too late, idiot!”

Seven froze. “What do you mean ‘too late’?”

“They already hurt him…” Zen’s breathing began to slow, tears streaming down his face. “They told me they did before they let me go…” Yoosung blinked at Seven in fear.

“What do you mean ‘they already hurt him’?” Saeran’s calm voice nearly whispered. “Please. Tell us more.”

“They told me they were taking him in my place. They said they’d do things to make sure he’d never talk about this again.”

“What… sort of things?”

“I have to go to sleep. Leave me alone.” Zen curled up in the couch, not looking at any of them.

“You can’t just leave it at that, Zen!” Yoosung shouted.

“I said I have to sleep! Just get out of my face!” And with that, he flipped over, covering his face with a pillow. Yoosung opened his mouth to retort when Seven shook his head no.

“Just leave it at that, Yoosung. Zen’s not stable enough to talk about it right now.” Yoosung held back a protest, simply storming off into the next room, his small whimpers fading as he disappeared.

The room fell silent as Zen rocked himself back to sleep on the couch. Saeran stood and faced his brother. 

“What now?” He asked, his eyes laced with worry.

“Go to sleep.” Seven commanded. “I have a few more things to try.” 

Saeran sighed. “Don’t be up too late, Hyung…” Seven nodded and turned, making his way back to Jumin’s office. His golden eyes swept over the screen yet again. The code just looked like a string of nonsense unlike any he’d ever seen. He couldn’t believe there was someone out there that could truly best him. He lifted his hands to the keyboard once more, before letting them drop to his lap. Instead, he wrapped his hand around his cross, pulling it off of his neck. He held it between his shaking hands, uttering a silent prayer for Jumin’s safety. Then he powered down the monitor and watched as the room was washed over with darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another super short chapter >> the last one is still in the works, but it'll prob be long. I may split it in two if needed.


	15. Jumin is Forever Silenced

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is folks! The grand finale! Sorry it took so long. Tbh I lost a lot of motivation for this story along the way and just haven't brought myself to finish it. Plus I havent really been too into MM lately. I have yet to even play Saeran's route tbh. I've been too busy getting sucked into BTS hell. I moved from Saeyoung and Jumin to Taehyung and Jimin. Go figure. 
> 
> Ironically I hated V in MM but now I adore V in BTS. Funny stuff.
> 
> Also I noticed an inconsistency with names. I've been calling Seven by Seven, 7, 707 and Saeyoung, so I'm sorry if that's been confusing. I was just reading through this and I realized that lmao.
> 
> Also I'm sorry if this seems a bit anticlimactic considering how long it took for me to write it. I just figured those of you that have made it this far deserve to see it through to the end. To those of you that have been following me for so long, thank you so much. I really truly appreciate it. Considering that everyone is basically done with MM, I figured I wouldn't get too much attention from this story but I'm glad some people still enjoyed it :3 thank you so much for everything~ I hope that if I ever write another story in the future, you guys will be able to follow me on that journey as well! Love you guys <3

The sun’s beams broke through the window, shining directly into Saeyoung’s eyes. He awoke disgruntled, scanning over the room tiredly. Zen was asleep on the couch, Saeran in a seated position beside him on the floor. Saeyoung had fallen asleep in the armchair beside the unused fireplace. Seeing Elizabeth’s cat bed in front of the structure only made the room colder. Saeyoung stood, gently brushing his fingers against the soft fabric of the bed. Even if Jumin did make it home, there would be only emptiness waiting for him. A sharp ache ripped through Saeyoung’s chest. The stoic Jumin Han that he’d always secretly admired had slowly come undone, and no one understood the severity of it until recently. There was no way Jumin would ever be the same. And Seven could do nothing else for him now except pray.   
He headed to the kitchen, fiddling with Jumin’s expensive coffee machine. The time on the oven read 9:47, and he figured the others could use a cup once they’d woken up. He was certainly feeling caffeine withdrawal after spending so long in the bunker devoid of his precious Dr. Pepper.   
The smell of gourmet coffee wafted through the penthouse, warming it up a few degrees. As if drawn to the scent, Jaehee made her way into the kitchen to find the disheveled Seven fumbling with the pot.   
“Saeyoung. Good morning.” She greeted, weakly. Seven gave her a half smile in response. There was obviously nothing good about this morning.   
He poured her a cup of freshly brewed coffee and handed it to her before pouring his own. They sat across from each other, sipping quietly at the warm liquid.   
“I didn’t peg you as a coffee person,” she finally said.   
He simply shrugged and blew off some of the rising smoke. “My body is running desperately low on caffeine.”  
“Ah, I see.” She sipped the molten beverage cautiously. “Nice to have someone who understands.”  
“Cheers,” he laughed, unenthusiastically.   
The two sat in silence for ions until Jaehee finally cleared her throat.   
“So…” she began. “Have you made any progress in regards to Mr. Han’s situation?” It was clear by her tone that she had her answer before even asking.  
Seven looked away, eyes tracing the molding around the doorway.   
“If I had, I wouldn’t be sitting here, anxiously drinking black coffee, now would I?”  
Jaehee scoffed and took another sip of her beverage. “Just figured I’d ask.”  
Seven sighed and put his cup down, staring blankly out of a window on the opposite side of the room. “I couldn’t even understand what I was looking at. The security measures were no joke.”  
Jaehee smiled, sympathetically. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. It is to protect a major world leader. Of course it would be hard to crack.” Seven nodded in appreciation, eyes not shifting from the window.   
“I guess I was naive to believe this would just disappear. But I guess things like this never truly die.”  
“Has this come up before?”  
Seven looked at the woman carefully before letting out a deep sigh. There was no point in hiding anything anymore.   
“My entire childhood, he tried to get a hold of Saeran and me. My mother used us to extort money from him, threatening to expose us as his illegitimate kids if he didn’t pay up. So he tried desperately to get us out of the picture anyway he could. I used to get followed around by secret agents and Saeran wasn’t allowed to leave our home. When V and Rika found me, they essentially erased Saeyoung Choi from existence, so I thought I was safe.” He frowned at the memory of V and Rika’s interference in his life. How easily he’d trusted the pair. Of course he’d forgiven V after the man’s passing, but he couldn’t help but still feel betrayed. Had V lived, he could have at least atoned for his sins and cleared things up. But there was still so much left unresolved, and it would remain that way forever.  
“That must have been very hard for the two of you to live that way.” Jaehee’s coffee had her full attention as she watched the foam twist in her mug.  
“As you can see, the worst isn’t exactly over.” Seven sighed, inhaling a gulp of the now warm coffee in his hand. His life was never easy. And he’d prayed the hard part was finally over once he met MC. But happy ever after only exists in movies, he thought to himself. He ran a hand through his shaggy red hair as he tried not to break.  
He felt a pair of arms delicately wrap themselves around his torso, and a head resting against his own.   
“We’ll all get through this together, baby. Don’t lose hope just yet.” He smiled in spite of himself at the soft voice of reassurance against his scalp. He wrapped his own arms around MC’s and held her close. By now, he’d realized that everyone had woken up and joined them in the kitchen.   
“Don’t start feeling sorry for yourself just yet, idiot brother. We still have to stay strong for trust fund.” Saeran commanded, crossing his arms. Seven nodded, overwhelmed by everyone’s presence in the kitchen. He may have had a rough past. But he had a family that loves him now and that’s all that mattered.  
“Hyung, is there any more coffee? It smells really good~!” Yoosung chirped. While it felt a little forced, he was grateful for Yoosung’s sunny smile again. It convinced him, if only for a minute, that things could turn out ok in the end.   
“Let’s all have breakfast,” Seven said with a smile, standing from the table. “How about pancakes?” 

\-----  
“I remember someone showed up at my house and… knocked me out…. I guess…” Zen’s voice was small as he reflected. It was afternoon now, and everyone was sitting around, hoping for some good news, when Zen decided to tell them about what had happened. He recalled being kidnapped and tortured for what felt like weeks, barely fed or given water for far too long. He’d been beaten, but talked his way past those details, visibly shaking at the memory of it. Yoosung tried to press him for more, only to receive a punch in the arm from Saeran.  
“Finally, they told me they got to him. I figured they kidnapped him after killing the cat… I didn’t know he went there on his own to save me. He’s such an idiot... “   
“We were all worried endlessly about you, Zen…” Jaehee offered, eyes brimming with compassion.  
“I appreciate it. But I still don’t understand all of this. What the hell is trust fund’s plan? And how long are we gonna have to stay here?” Zen wrapped his arms around his torso and tried to physically hold himself together. Seven was the one to offer comfort to the actor this time.  
“Jumin’s not the type to burst in without a plan. I’m sure he’ll think of something.” Then again, he thought, Jumin’s also not the type to let emotions rule over his thinking. For all they knew, Jumin was in danger and simply being held hostage until the twins offered themselves up. As to what they would do to him… Seven could only remember Zen’s outburst from the night before. You’re too late, idiot! He recalled the actor’s desperate voice. They already hurt him…   
“Zen… do you remember-”  
The sound of the front door caught everyone’s attention immediately. Six pairs of eyes tensed as the heavy wood door swung open, letting in a draft and a very tired looking business man. Seven’s mouth dropped open as the man let himself in, his silver eyes looking more washed out than ever as he sauntered in slowly.  
Seven jumped to his feet and raced towards the door. He opened his mouth to greet Jumin when a pair of golden eyes met his. A cocktail of rage, sorrow, guilt and fear brewed in his chest.   
“Saeyoung, I presume?” Said Minister Choi. “You’re looking well.” There was nothing but malice in his words.  
“Minister Choi.” Seven retorted, his rage forming a knot in his throat. The man he’d spent years of his life running from was now directly in front of him. And all he could do was quiver at his presence.   
“Relax, boy. I’m not here to kill you. I had people to do that for me, although it didn’t work out very well.” He let out a small amused chuckle with a roll of his eyes. Seven quickly glanced behind him. Saeran was frozen in place, with MC and Yoosung doing their best to shield the boy with their own bodies. Zen was sitting on the couch, staring blankly ahead at the TV that was switched off. He trying his best to ignore the man by the doorway, but considering the visible tremors coming from his body, he was very much aware of the man's presence.  
“Initially, I wanted you two out of the picture, but Mr. Han and I have struck a different deal to keep you all quiet. I’ll uphold my end of the deal to leave you all alone and you brats better do the same. I’m not the type of man to play with.” Jumin walked towards the couch where Zen was sitting, and plopped down next to him, staring at the blank TV.   
“What… type of deal?” Seven finally managed to stutter. As much resentment he housed for the man before him, he wasn’t stupid enough to pick a fight with Minister Choi right now. The man was not above killing his own children, and whatever deal he’d struck with Jumin could only be equally as terrifying.  
The man simply smirked and crossed his arms, turning back into the hallway, where numerous guards awaited him. “Why don’t you ask him what I did to keep him quiet?” Seven cocked an eyebrow and briefly turned to Jumin, who was sitting silently against the couch with a tired, empty smile. Zen looked over at him, placing a gentle hand on the man’s shoulder. Seven turned back to face the minister, but he was gone. Like a phantom, he and all of his guards had vanished, leaving the redhead standing there in confusion. He slowly shut the door and made his way back into the penthouse.  
Zen abruptly jumped up, screeching. Everyone tensed and looked at Zen, whose crimson eyes were wide and wild.   
“They did it!” He wailed. “They did it! They’re keeping him quiet!” Saeran wrapped his arms around Zen’s body and pinned him down. Zen continued to thrash, and Saeran’s fragile body was no match for the muscular actor. Zen practically threw Saeran off of himself and grabbed Jumin’s shoulders, turning the man to face himself.   
“Jumin! Please tell me that scar isn’t what I think!”  
“What scar?” Yoosung gasped. Seven walked closer.   
On Jumin’s neck, right over the Adam’s apple, was a thick scar. It looked relatively fresh, as it still had a few stitches holding it together.   
“Jumin…” Seven whispered, feeling tears rolling down his cheeks. “Don’t tell me… that they…” Jumin turned his face to Seven, forging a very broken smile on his lips. He blinked once and turned away, bowing his head in apology.  
Jaehee stepped forward to examine her boss’s neck. She jerked back in fear. “Does that mean… you can no longer speak?”  
Jumin nodded half heartedly and fidgeted with his fingers. The others pressed for more information, but there was little they couldn’t infer. He’d been tortured, both emotionally and physically, and had given up his vocal chords as a warning for them all to keep quiet. None of them ever needed another reminder, and in fact, fought desperately to forget.


	16. Everyone is Content

In an attempting to protect the remaining members of the RFA, Jumin had taken a very permanent vow of silence. Heartbroken, touched and fearing for their lives, the others had no choice but to trust Jumin’s decision would keep them all safe. Losing his ability to speak wouldn't detriment the young director nearly as much as his massive amount of personal grievances would. The emptiness left by Elizabeth’s absence, as well as the unresolved issues with V, Rika, RFA in general, Saeran and now the Prime Minister, would weigh on him tremendously. Eventually he’d have to begin a serious therapy regimen to not only heal mentally, but also gain some control of his speech back. He buried himself in his work and tried his best to keep up with the RFA, but slowly began to back out of the organization. It had been years since their last party, and none of them were to keen on hosting another. And while letting V and Rika’s organization go wasn’t something he wanted, his therapist suggested he needed to move on from it in order to truly begin to heal. He did initially feel guilt about abandoning the RFA, but for the sake of his health, it needed to happen. He began to truly heal from the grief, accepting everything that had happened and was finally able to move on. He eventually inherited C&R, and increased the company’s net worth tenfold, branching into countries they’d never worked with before. He was consistently praised for his work ethic and became an international household name.  
Jaehee was promoted to director, and served under Jumin for 3 more years until she eventually resigned and left to pursue her own life. She opened a coffee shop and fell in love, and eventually got engaged. Her life became focused on enjoyment rather then her work, and she began to enjoy the simple pleasures she’d denied herself for so long. She began to tour Europe with her beloved, and slowly forgot about the little app that tethered her to her old life little by little.  
Zen was also put through intense psychotherapy to deal with his own PTSD, and within mere months, the actor was back on stage and ready to put it all behind him. Using that fear to further escalate his own performances, Zen’s acting improved tenfold. He went on to play a victim of abuse, and his performance had brought him huge amounts of attention, boosting his reputation tremendously. He became increasingly busy, almost never having time to spend with the RFA. His selfies became more and more scarce until he hardly had time to update anything but his personal social media. He was chasing his dream, and the others were happy for him, even if it meant they could hardly see him anymore.  
MC and Saeyoung went on to get married, and eventually had a daughter together, Soo Yeon. She was a mischievous toddler with her father’s golden eyes who loved to play with her Uncle Saeran. Saeran’s own therapy was going very well, and by the time Soo Yeon was born, he’d moved out on his own and started a computer repair business that was flourishing. He would occasionally bring her into work with him, and let her play with some of the older computers. By the time she was 4 years old, Soo Yeon had already learned how to trace IPs.  
Yoosung eventually got himself back on track, graduating first in his class and going on to a prestigious medical school in America. Rika was able to attend his graduation, having improved enough to be allowed to travel within the United States. She expressed interest in returning home and making amends someday, but also felt it would be better for her to be forgotten since she’d caused so much pain. She had yet to make any decision as of Yoosung’s graduation.  
The RFA eventually collapsed, leaving them all with nothing but memories of the old days. Whether for better or for worse, they all had their own busy lives and schedules, and grew as individuals. Jumin’s sacrifice had kept them all safe, as promised, and he was satisfied with that. To keep them all safe at the cost of being forever silenced was absolutely worth it, despite never seeing them anymore. 

Whether the Minister would uphold his end of the deal or not would be another story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GAHHH I ACCIDENTALLY SPOILED MYSELF NOOO
> 
> So i have yet to do saeran's route, but i went to look up info on Seven and I found out his dad's name ;; Im assuming that means that Saeran's route talks about their dad (i mean obvi yeah) so I guess this story becomes devoid ;~; good thing I finished it before i found out otherwise this would have been unfinished forever. 
> 
> TBH i know the ending is super cheesy but nothing lasts forever, and i assume everyone would go their own ways eventually, especially since, in all honesty, the rfa seems like it would be kind of pointless/toxic after all of this. They would all need to heal, and regardless as to if they love each other or not, they would need to eventually let go and grow as individuals. Happened to me, and as sad as it is to lose people you've known for a while, sometimes you need to say goodbye for your own sake. I've been so much happier since I let them go, as awful as it sounds. I needed time to become me again and having them just reminded me of who I was and never want to be again. Growing up is all about decision making; picking things that are good for you rather then things you want. I think thats what it is anyway. Who REALLY knows how to be an adult?
> 
> Alright! I think that's it! Initially chapter 16 was just a bonus chapter and was just kinda a paragraph to wrap it up but I figured i might as well just have a full chapter from it, despite how short. It was a fun journey, and i think this will mark the end of my involvement in the MM fandom. I do eventually want to do Saeran's route, but I think for now I'm ok with leaving everything here.
> 
> Thanks a million, guys <3
> 
> PS.  
> The minister is an asshole but I don't think I'd be making a follow up story. Hopefully he dies before then.
> 
> PPS. Soo Yeon is such a pretty name and I wish my family would be open to me naming my daughter that but my family is super traditional Arabs so thats not gonna happen so I'll just name Seven's daughter Soo Yeon since Seven is basically me anyway :p


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